by RBR Admin
This Day in Track & Field–August 13
1925—Charles Hoff upped his World Record in the Pole Vault with a clearance of 13-10 ½ (4.23) in Oslo.
1966—Kenya’s Kip Keino was a double winner at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games (August 4-13) in Kingston, Jamaica, finishing 1st in the Mile (3:55.34) and 3-Mile (12:57.4). He went past Australia’s Ron Clarke (12:59.2) on the final backstretch. Clarke (27:39.42) also finished 2nd to Kenya’s Naftali Temu (27:14.2) in the 6-mile.
Other notable winners:
Men
100y: Harry Jerome (CAN) 9.41
440y: Wendell Mottley (TTO) 45.08
120y-Hurdles: David Hemery (ENG) 14.1
Long Jump: Lynn Davies (WAL) 26-2 ¾ (7.99)
Women
440y: Judy Pollock (AUS) 53.0
880y: Abby Hoffman (CAN) 2:04.3…2.Pollock 2:04.5
Long Jump: Mary Rand (ENG) 20-10 ½ (6.36)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1966_British_Empire_and_Commonwealth_Games
http://www.scottishdistancerunninghistory.scot/1966-british-empire-and-commonwealth-games-jamaica/
Videos: Mile 3-mile Highlights
1980–Soviet Tatyana Kazankina ran 3:52.47 for 1500-meters in Zürich to break her own 5-week old World Record of 3:55.0. 2nd was Mary Decker, who broke her own American Record (4:00.04) with her first sub-4 performance-3:59.43.
WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1500_metres_world_record_progression
1983-Finnish fans were about to have their hearts broken as the final round of the Women’s Javelin began at the inaugural World Championships in Helsinki.
Great Britain’s Fatima Whitbread, who was the 12th qualifier for the final, was leading, having thrown a personal best of 226-10 (69.14) in the first round, while Finland’s Tiina Lillak, the World Record holder, was sitting in 2nd place with a best of 221-4 (67.46). A sore back forced Whitbread to pass her last attempt, then she had to wait to see what Lillak would do.
Lillak, with the frenzied crowd seeming to will the javelin through the air, did the improbable, throwing 232-4 (70.82) to move into the lead and it was Whitbread’s heart that was broken! A jubilant Lillak sprinted halfway around the track in celebration, even though there was one more thrower left in the competition. When Great Britain’s Tessa Sanderson fell far short with her final effort, the gold medal was Lillak’s, and she became part of Finland’s rich history in the event. Winning the bronze medal was Greece’s Anna Verouli (215-7 [65.72]).
Legendary broadcaster Dick Enberg was the studio host of NBC’s coverage of the Championships. Being of Finnish extraction, he was so moved by Lillak’s performance and its impact on the crowd that he later named his daughter Nicole Tiina! Since NBC’s nightly shows were pre-empting the David Letterman show, Enberg emulated (somewhat reluctantly) some of the late-night host’s favorite bits, like trying to toss pens into the studio ceiling!
The Soviet Union’s (and Ukraine’s) Gennady Avdeyenko won the Men’s High Jump, clearing 7-7 ¼ (2.32) on his first attempt to beat American Tyke Peacock, who needed 3 tries to get over that height. Peacock tied the American Record that was already shared by Dwight Stones, Jeff Woodard, and Del Davis. 3rd on fewer misses at 7-6 (2.29} was World Record holder Zhu Jianhua of China.
There were four other past and future World Record holders in the event, three of whom also cleared 7-6: Germany’s Dietmar Mögenburg, the Soviet Union’s (and Kyrgyzstan’s) Igor Paklin, and Stones. 7th at 7-5 (2.26) was Germany’s Carlo Thränhardt, who would set an Indoor Record of 7-11 ¼ (2.42) in 1988 (matching the outdoor best).
Cheering for Stones from their seats in front of the NBC booth were wife Linda and 5-month old son Jason. Stones performed double-duty in Helsinki, re-joining Charlie Jones, Frank Shorter, and Madeline Manning as an NBC announcer after the previous morning’s qualifying round, and again the day after the HJ final.
Despite missing 3-months of training earlier in the year due to injuries, Great Britain’s Daley Thompson (8,666 points [8,714 current tables]) was able to win the Decathlon over Germany’s Jürgen Hingsen (8,561/8599), the World Record holder, and Siegfried Wentz (8478/8513).
East Germany got a 1-2 finish in the 100-meter hurdles from Bettine Jahn (12.35w) and Kerstin Knabe (12.42w). Finishing 3rd was Bulgaria’s Ginka Zagorcheva (12.64).
Medalists: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_World_Championships_in_Athletics
A Look Back:
https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20852481/remembering-the-1983-helsinki-world-championships/
Sports Illustrated Vault: https://vault.si.com/vault/1983/08/22/putting-it-all-on-the-line
Videos: WJT(Finnish) W100h
1987–Jackie Joyner-Kersee long-jumped 24-5 ½ (7.45m) at the Pan-American Games in Indianapolis to equal Heike Drechsler’s World Record. JJK jumped 23-9 ½ (7.25) in the 3rd round to add a half-inch to her American Record, then, after getting instructions from her coach and husband, Bobby Kersee, to move the beginning of her runup back a touch, she exploded in the final round with her record jump.
(From the SI Vault): After the measurement with a steel tape confirmed the distance, Bob Kersee danced. He shouted. He pressed his head to a steeplechase barrier and sobbed. “I’m so emotional,” he said when composed, “because we were so close to not coming here. I have to ask myself: Am I so over-protective that I could have kept her from this?” (Kersee was concerned that his wife might get injured here with the World Championships in Rome coming up in a few weeks).
Video(Commentary by Dick Stockton & Mary Slaney): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cMML5oDAHo
https://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/14/sports/pan-american-games-joyner-kersee-ties-world-record.html
Results: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1987_Pan_American_Games
1995-Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova, the World Record holder, won the Women’s High Jump on the final day of competition at the World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, with a clearance of 6-7 (2.01). It was her 2nd World title, coming 8 years after she won her first in Rome in 1987. Winning silver and bronze were Germany’s Alina Astafei and Ukraine’s Inha Babakova, both of whom cleared 6-6 ¼ (1.99).
Running 51.28 for his final 400-meters, Algeria’s Noureddine Morceli, the World Record holder in the event, won his 3rd straight World title in the Men’s 1500-meters (3:33.73). Finishing 2nd was Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj (3:35.28), who would start his own winning streak (four) at the next World Championships in 1997. 3rd was Burundi’s Vénuste Niyongabo (3:35.56).
It was a fast Women’s 800, with Cuba’s Ana Fiedlia Quirós/aka Quirót (1:56.11), winning over Surinam’s Letitia Vriesde (1:56.68) and Great Britain’s Kelly Holmes (1:56.95), who edged France’s Patricia Djaté-Taillard (1:57.04) for the bronze medal. American Meredith Rainey-Valmon (1:58.20) gamely led from the gun (56.42, 1:25.91) before slipping to 5th in the homestretch.
Czech Jan Železný, destined to become one of the sport’s legends, repeated as the winner of the Men’s Javelin. Sitting in 3rd place after the first 3 rounds, he came to life in the final, with his last 3 throws all good enough to win the gold medal, saving the best for last: 293-11 (89.58). Železný would win his 3rd World title in 2001 to go with his 3 Olympic gold medals (1992, 1996, 2000). And he’s still the World Record holder (323-1[98.48]). Winning silver and bronze were Great Britain’s Steve Backley (283-2 [86.30]) and Germany’s Boris Henry (282-5 [86.08]).
Kenya’s Ismael Kirui (13:16.77) won the Men’s 5000 over Morocco’s Khalid Boulami (13:17.15) and fellow Kenyan Shem Kororia (13:17.59).
With the U.S. eliminated in the heats after a bad exchange, Canada had little trouble winning the Men’s 4×100 in 38.31. Running the last two legs for Canada were Bruny Surin and Donovan Bailey, who had earlier won silver and gold, respectively, in the 100-meters. Finishing 2nd and 3rd were Australia (38.50) and Italy (39.07).
It was a U.S. sweep in the other three relays, the women winning the 4×100 (Celena Mondie-Milner, Carlette Guidry, Chryste Gaines, Gwen Torrence) in 42.12, and the 4×400 (Kim Graham 51.1, Rochelle Stevens 50.7, Camara Jones 51.0, Jearl Miles-Clark 49.6) in 3:22.39, and the men (Marlon Ramsey 44.9, Derek Mills 44.6, Butch Reynolds 43.7, Michael Johnson 44.1) closing out the Championships with a win in the 4×400 in 2:57.32.
Other relay medalists:
W4x100-2.Jamaica (42.25), 3.Germany (43.01)
W4x400-2.Russia (3:23.98), 3.Australia (3:25.88)
M4x400-2.Jamaica (2:59.88), 3.Nigeria (3:03.18)
Medalists: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_World_Championships_in_Athletics
Athletics Weekly Recap: https://athleticsweekly.com/london-2017/iaaf-world-championships-history-gothenburg-1995-65488/
Videos: M1500 W800 M5000 W4x400 WHJ M4x400 M4x100(Race only) M4x100(13 minutes) W4x100
1997–The Weltklasse meet in Zürich always produces fine results, and this year’s edition was one of the best ever, as three World Records fell. Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer won the 800-meters in 1:41.24 to break the previous mark of 1:41.73 that he shared with Sebastian Coe (Rich Kenah ran his lifetime best of 1:43.38 in 3rd place). Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie broke his own record in the 5000 (12:41.86), and Kenya’s Wilson Boit Kipketer set a new mark in the Steeplechase (7:59.08).
Gebrselassie was in 2nd with a lap to go, trailing Kenya’s Daniel Komen (12:44.90), who had run back-to-back sub-4 minute miles the previous month when he set a World Record of 7:58.61 for 2-miles. Geb sprinted into the lead with about 250-meters to go and pulled away to break his 2-year old WR of 12:44.39, which was also set in Zurich.
The outcome of the Steeplechase was in doubt as late as the last water jump, with 3 Kenyans in contention. Kipketer pulled away for the win, while Bernard Barmassi (8:00.35) took over 2nd from Moses Kiptanui (8:00.78), who set the previous WR of 7:59.18 on this same track in 1995.
The Men’s 1500 didn’t produce a record, but it was the deepest race in history as Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj edged Spain’s Fermín Cacho in a thriller (3:28.91-3:28.95). Burundi’s Venuste Niyongabo was also under 3:30, finishing 3rd in 3:29.43, making those 3 the 2-3-4 all-time fastest performers in history, trailing only Algeria’s Noureddine Morceli, the World Record holder (3:27.37), who finished 4th here in 3:30.23. Fastest times-for place were set for positions 2-13!
Results: https://www.milesplit.com/meets/133098-weltklasse-zrich-1997/results/231617/raw
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/aug/14/no-ones-world-record-safe-in-zurich-800-5000/
Videos: 1500
800 WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/800_metres_world_record_progression
5000 WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5000_metres_world_record_progression
Steeple-last lap WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3000_metres_steeplechase_world_record_progression
2005-Russia’s Yuliya Pechonkina, the World Record holder (at the time), won the Women’s 400-Meter Hurdles at the World Championships in Helsinki. Finishing 2nd and 3rd with personal bests were Americans Lashinda Demus (53.27) and Sandra Glover (53.32).
Dwight Phillips took care of things early in the Men’s Long Jump, with his opening effort of 28-2 ¾ (8.60) holding up to give him the 2nd of his four World titles. Winning silver and bronze were Ghana’s Ignisious Gaisah (27-4 ½ [8.34]) and Finland’s Tommi Evilä (27-3/4 [8.25]).
The Women’s 5000 was a classic, matching defending World champion Tirunesh Dibaba against fellow Ethiopian Meseret Defar, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist.
Defar was the only one able to stay with Dibaba when she took the lead with 300-meters left in the race, but lost touch down the homestretch as Dibaba, winner of the 10,000 a week earlier, completed her distance double with a convincing win here (14:38.59-14:39.54). Coming two days after the U.S. 1-4 sweep in the Men’s 200, Ethiopia matched that in this event, with Ejegayehu Dibaba (14:42.47), “Tiru”’s younger sister, and Meselech Melkamu (14:43.47) finishing 3-4.
A U.S. lineup of Angela Daigle, Muna Lee, Lisa Barber, and 100 winner Lauryn Williams won the Women’s 4×100 in 41.78, with Jamaica close behind in 41.99, followed by Belarus (42.56)
The pre-meet favorite in the Men’s 4×100 was the U.S., which was expected to have Tyson Gay and Maurice Greene on the last two legs, but they never made it out of the heats after Mardy Scales and Leonard Scott failed to connect on the first exchange. In their absence, France edged Trinidad & Tobago (38.08-38.10) to win the gold medals. Great Britain (38.27) edged Jamaica (38.28) for 3rd place.
Medalists in other events
Women’s Shot Put—Russia’s Olga Ryabinkina (64-5 ¼ [19.64]), New Zealand’s Valerie Vili-Adams (64-4 ½
[19.62]), Germany’s Nadine Kleinert (62-6 ¾ [19.07]). (Belarus’ Nadezhda Ostapchuk was later
stripped of the gold medal for a doping violation)
Men’s Marathon–Morocco’s Jaouad Gharib (2:10:10), Tanzania’s Christopher Isengwe (2:10:21), Japan’s
Tsuyoshi Ogata (2:11:16)
Medalists: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_World_Championships_in_Athletics
IAAF Results Additional Reports
Videos: W5000(Facebook) W4x100 M4x100 MLJ(non-English) Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
2013-Germany’s Robert Harting won his 3rd straight World title in the Men’s Discus, with his winning throw of 226-9 (69.11) in Moscow being the best of his three winning efforts. As usual, Harting put on a show for the crowd, ripping off his singlet on his victory lap. Finishing 2-3 were Poland’s Piotr Małachowski (224-3 [68.36]) and Estonia’s Gerd Kanter (213-10 [65.19]).
The Women’s Pole Vault featured the only two 5-meter jumpers in history, with Russia’s Yelena Isinbaeva (16-3/4 [4.89]) appropriately getting the win in front of a partisan (and boisterous) crowd over 2012 Olympic champion Jenn Suhr (15-9 ¾ [4.82]). It was the 3rd World title for Isinbaeva, but her first since 2007. Winning the bronze medal was Cuba’s Yarisley Silva (15-9 ¾ [4.82]).
Having struggled in recent years, Isinbaeva, the 2004 and 2008 Olympic champion, celebrated her win by letting out a joyous scream on the victory stand (see link).
LaShawn Merritt had been injured at the 2012 Olympics, but was back in good form and was expecting to challenge Kirani James, the gold medalist in London, for the win in the Men’s 400-meters. But Merritt’s 2nd World title (he also won in 2009) came surprisingly easy, running a personal best of 43.74 as James had a rare off-day, fading to 7th (44.99) in the homestretch. Teammate Tony McQuay finished 2nd with a personal best of 44.40, and the Dominican Republic’s Liguelin Santos won the bronze medal (44.52).
In the Men’s 800-meters, Nick Symmonds (1:43.55) had taken the lead from U.S. teammate Duane Solomon coming off the final turn, but had to settle for the silver medal after being overtaken by Ethiopia’s Mohammed Aman (1:43.31) in the final 10-meters. 3rd was Djibouti’s Ayanleh Souleiman (1:43.76), and the front-running Solomon faded to 6th (1:44.42).
Ukraine’s Hanna Kasyanova (6586) won the Heptathlon over Canada’s Brianne Theisen-Eaton (6530), whose husband Ashton had won the Decathlon two days earlier. Winning the bronze was the Netherlands’ Dafne Schippers (6477), who would later become one of the world’s top sprinters.
Medalists in other events:
Women’s 20k-Walk: Russia’s Yelena Lashmanova (1:27:08/2012 Olympic Champion), China’s Liu
Hong (1:28:10) and Sun Huanhuan (1:28:32)
Women’s Steeplechase: Kenya’s Milcah Chemos (9:11.65) and Lidya Chepkurui (9:12.55), Ethiopia’s Sofia
Assefa (9:12.84)
Medalists/Results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_World_Championships_in_Athletics
IAAF Coverage Additional Reports
Videos: M800 M400 MDT WPV PV Ceremony
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/athletics/23690428
2016—Sitting in 4th place at the time, Jeff Henderson came through in the clutch with his final jump of 27-6 (8.38) to win the gold medal in the Men’s Long Jump at the Rio Olympics by one centimeter over South Africa’s Luvo Manyongo (27-5 ½ [8.37]). Henderson dedicated his win to his mother Debra, a long-time Alzheimer’s victim.
Jarrion Lawson, who was the leader after the first 3 rounds (27-3/4 [8.25]), looked like a winner with the final jump of the competition, but was shocked when the infield indicator flashed only “7.78”, or 25-6 ¼. After watching a replay of his jump, Lawson conceded that his trailing left hand had indeed broken the sand far short of what he thought he had jumped! He wound up in 4th place behind Great Britain’s Greg Rutherford (27-2 ½ [8.29]), the defending champion.
Despite falling earlier in the race, Great Britain’s Mo Farah (27:05.17) won his 2nd Olympic title in the Men’s 10,000, outsprinting Kenya’s Paul Tanui (27:05.64) and Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola (27:06.26) and Yigrim Demelash (27:06.27) to the finish line. American Galen Rupp finished 5th in 27:08.92.
Elaine Thompson (10.71) won the Women’s 100 over American Tori Bowie (10.83) and fellow Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.86), the 2-time defending champion, who just edged the Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josée Ta Lou (10.86) to win the bronze medal. Thompson would win the 200 later in the Games and would repeat her victorius sprint double at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Belgium’s Nafi Thiam (6810) won the Heptathlon over Great Britain’s Jessica Ennis-Hill (6775) and Canada’s Brianne Theisen-Eaton (6653).
Germany’s Christoph Harting won the Men’s Discus with a throw of 224-3 (68.37). His brother Robert was the 2012 Olympic and 3-time World Champion (’09-’11-’13) in the Discus. Finishing 2-3 were Poland’s Piotr Małachowski (221-7 [67.55]) and Germany’s Daniel Jasinski (219-11 [67.05]).
Medalists/Results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics
IAAF Results Additional Reports
Videos: W100 M10,000 MDT MLJ HEP
2017—South Africa’s Caster Semenya (1:55.16) won her 3rd World title (2009, 2011) in the Women’s 800 in London to go along with her two Olympic wins (2012, 2016). Finishing 2nd was Burundi’s Francine Niyansabo (1:55.92), followed by American Ajee’ Wilson (1:56.65).
Kenya’s Hellen Obiri (14:34.86) won the Women’s 5000 over Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana (14:40.35), who had won the 10,000 eight days earlier, and the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan (14:42.73). Top American in 9th was Shannon Rowbury (14:59.92), with Molly Huddle and Shelby Houlihan finishing 12th (15:05.28) and 13th (15:06.40).
Kenya got a 1-2 finish in the Men’s 1500 from Elijah Manangoi (3:33.61) and Timothy Cheruiyot (3:33.99). 3rd was Norway’s Filip Ingebrigtsen (3:34.53) and 8th was New Zealand’s Nick Willis (3:36.82), followed by Kenya’s 3-time defending champion Asbel Kiprop (3:37.24) and the lone American finalist, Johnny Gregorek (3:37.56).
Croatia’s Sandra Perković (230-8 [70.31]), the 2-time Olympic gold medalist, won her 2nd World title (also won in 2013) in the Women’s Discus. 2nd was Australia’s Dani Stevens 228-6 (69.64), the 2009 World Champion, and 3rd was France’s Mélina Robert-Michon
217-2 (66.21).
It was a runaway in the Women’s 4×400 for an American lineup of Quanera Hayes (50.4), Allyson Felix (48.7), Shakima Wimbley (49.6), and Phyllis Francis (50.3), which won by almost six seconds over Great Britain (3:19.02-3:25.00). Poland was 3rd (3:25.41).
The U.S. didn’t fare as well in the Men’s 4×400, the final event of the Championships. Wil London gave the American team a solid lead with his 44.8 lead-off leg, but Trinidad & Tobago’s Jereem Richards, the bronze medalist in the 200-meters, ran a great 43.5 2nd leg to draw close to Gil Roberts (44.2).
Michael Cherry (44.8) kept the U.S. in the lead on the 3rd leg, but just barely over Machel Cedenio (44.4). Fred Kerley was handling the anchor leg for the U.S., but this wasn’t the same runner who had set a Collegiate Record of 43.70 in May. The former Texas A&M Aggie had finished 7th in the 400 here in London, and was unable to hold off the hard-charging Lalonde Gordon (44.1), who gave Trinidad & Tobago (2:58.12) its first global title in the event! Kerley (44.8) held on for 2nd (2:58.61) over Great Britain’s Martyn Rooney (44.4/2:59.00). 3rd was Great Britain(2:59.00).
NBC commentator Ato Boldon barely contained his excitement as he watched his native country pull off the exciting upset!
Other medalists on this final day of competition:
Men’s High Jump–Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim (7-8 ½ [2.35]/1st of his 3 World titles), ANA/Russia’s Danil Lysenko 7-7 ¼ (2.32), Syria’s
Majd Ghazal 7-6 (2.29)
Men’s 50k Walk–France’s Yohann Diniz (3:33:12), Japan’s Hirooki Arai (3:41:17) and Kai Kobayashi (3:41:19)
Women’s 50k Walk(Inaugural)–Portugal’s Inês Henriques (4:05:56WR), China’s Yin Hang (4:08:58) and Yang Shuqing (4:20:50)
Women’s 20k Walk–China’s Yang Jaiyu (1:26:18), Mexico’s Lupita González(1:26:19), Italy’s Antonella Palmisano(1:26:36)
Men’s 20k Walk–Colombia’s Éider Arévalo (1:18:53), ANA/Russia’s Sergey Shirobokov(1:18:55), Brazil’s Caio Bonfim(1:19:04)
…
