© Stade de France ®
Macary, Zublena et Regembal
Costantini - Architects
ADAGP - Paris - 2002
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COMPETITION  EVENTS |
 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN
During the 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics there will be 24 men events and 22 women events. The two events that do not appear in the womens' programme are the 3,000 m steeplechase and the 50 km walk. What is also worth noting is that women will compete in a heptathlon and men in a decathlon.
GREAT MOMENTS IN ATHLETICS UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
At all times the sprint has had great runners. Jesse Owens (USA), Armin Harry (GER) and more recently Calvin Smith (USA) the world record-holder in 9.93 from 1983 to 1991, then Carl Lewis (USA) from 1991 to 1993. Later came Leroy Burrell (USA), Donovan Bailey (CAN) and finally Maurice Greene who today dominates in this event.
As for the women athletes, how can you not mention "the black springbox" Wilma Rudolph (USA) who despite health problems managed to achieve a memorable double hit during the Olympic Games in Mexico in the 100 m and 200 m events. Another phenomenon in the sprint event was Evelyn Ashford (USA) who twice improved upon the world record, one in 1983 and in 1984 with a time of 10.76 that she achieved on the track in Zurich. The next phenomenon was Florence Griffith (USA) who performed a time of 10.49 during the American qualifications for the Olympic Games in Seoul. Her performance dramatically boosted the sprint event.
In the 200 m event the Italian Pietro Menea (ITA) set a world record at 19.72 in 1979. Things only changed in 1996 with the great Michael Johnson (USA) who broke this record twice : first with a time of 19.66, improving it by 6 hundredths of a second, and then during the Olympic Games in Atlanta with an absolutely fantastic time of 19.32.
From 1979 to 1986 the women from Eastern Germany literally dominated this event. Marita Koch and Heike Drechsler both performed a time of 21.17. In the 200 m event Florence Griffith also carried out an amazing performance during the Olympic Games in Seoul with 21.56 in the semi final, and then 21.34 in the final. Four months later she announced her retirement from the competition.
The 400m was dominated by the American Lee Evans with 43.86 and this performance remained as the World Record for 20 years. An excellent performance on the famous track of Zurich was necessary for Butch Reynolds (USA) to break the 43.30 record and set it at 43.29. Once again, it was the amazing Michael Johnson who, during the 1999 World Championships in Seville, went it alone and made an outstanding performance with a time of 43.18.
The women's 400 m was dominated by eastern european countries and two athletes passed below the 48.00 time: Jarmila Kratochvilova (CZE) with 47.99 in 1983 and Marita Koch (GBR) with 47.60 in 1985. Marie-José Pérec (FRA) was the only one to come close to this performance with 48.25 in 1996.
The 800m World Record set by Sébastien Coe (GBR) in 1981 in Florence remained untouched for 16 years. Wilson Kipketer, the Kenyan, naturalised Danish, improved upon it twice in 1997 and set it at 1:41.11.
Eastern country athletes also dominated the 800 m with Jarmila Kratochvilova (CZE) and her 1:53.28 performed in Munich in 1983. Since then, only the Cuban Ana Fidelia Quirot has come close to this performance.
And what about the successive 1500m records? We all remember the incredible duel between the British Steve Cram and the Moroccan Saïd Aouita which made it possible to go under the 3:30.00 mark with a time of 3:29.67 during the legendary Nikaïa meeting in 1985. This performance removed from the records table another British giant, Steve Ovett. Saïd Aouita then improved upon this record during the same year. It was the Algerian Saïd Nouriddine Morcelli who, in 1992 and then in 1995, set the record at 3:27.37. Some people thought that this performance was hard to beat but Hicham Guerrouj managed to prove them wrong during the meeting held in Rome in 1998, reaching 3:26.00.
China made itself known in the women's 1500 m when, in 1993, Qu Yunxia made 3:50.46 in Beijing. During this race, two Chinese athletes, including Qu, removed from the records table the Russian Tatyana Kazankina who had held the record since 1980.
Coming soon, long-distance racing, the hurdles, walking and more…
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