| 25/08/2003 - EUNICE GETS FRANCE OFF THE MARK |
Eunice Barber won France’s first medal on Day 2 of competition – a silver in the heptathlon. No such luck for Christine Arron, though, who came in a disappointing sixth in the 100 metres.
|
| 24/08/2003 - KLUFT-BARBER, PICK OF THE FIRST-DAY DUELS |
Three titles were awarded on Saturday, to Adrei Mikhnevich of Belarus in the shot put, Ethiopia’s Adere in the 10,000m and the Ecuadorian Jefferson Perez in the 20km walk. But it was the confrontation between Kluft and Barber in the heptathlon that really caught the crowd’s imagination. That one will be decided on Sunday…
|
| 23/08/2003 - LET’S GET IT ON! |
At 8.30am sharp on Saturday, a shot will fly up into the Saint-Denis sky and the 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics will have begun. The qualifying competition for the shot put marks the start of nine thrilling days of world-class athletics. 500,000 fans are expected through the turnstiles of the Stade de France®.
|
| 06/08/2003 - ALL IN THE ARM |
Man has wielded the javelin to devastating effect since time immemorial but it is only in the modern era that the practice has been reserved exclusively for the sporting arena. Today’s star throwers go by the colourful names of Zelezny, Makarov and Gatsioudis, who will step into the Stade de France® amphitheatre in quest of glory.
|
| 11/07/2003 - THE ART OF 800-METRE RUNNING |
In the crossover between sprinting and distance running, the 800m distinguishes itself from the 400m, not only because it involves an extra lap of the track, but also because it requires both endurance and tactical nous, often resulting in heart-stopping excitement.
|
| 27/06/2003 - BARBER BACK ON TRACK (AND FIELD) |
On 8 June, Eunice Barber set the highest points total in the world this year in the Arles heptathlon. That season’s best marked the end of two years of pain and anguish for the French all-round athlete before the World Championships in Athletics in Paris.
|
| 26/05/2003 - HORSE RIDING WITHOUT THE HORSES |
Originally inspired by cross-country horse riding, the 3,000m steeplechase is very much a discipline apart. Not content with racing full pelt around the track for 7 ½ laps, steeplechasers really reveal their masochistic tendencies by jumping a series of energy-sapping jumps and obstacles.
|
| 07/04/2003 - POLE VAULT: IT’S ALL IN THE ENERGY CONVERSION |
Originally a gymnastic discipline before it joined the athletics family in the 18th century, the pole vault has always been something of a sport apart. Raised to new heights of popularity by one of the greatest field athletes of all time, Sergey Bubka...
|
| 31/03/2003 - THE MEN’S 400M - AN EULOGY TO AGONY |
Some truly great runners have graced the one-lap race. The retirement of the greatest of them all, Michael Johnson, has left an immense void. Is anyone ready to break the 400m pain barrier and step out of Johnson’s shadow at Paris Saint-Denis ?
|
| 28/02/2003 - A HOP, STEP AND A JUMP FROM GLORY |
The triple jump is one of the most technically and physically demanding athletic disciplines in the world. It is also one of the most thrilling, so excitement is guaranteed at the Stade de France® this summer as the greats of the sport gather, each hoping to hop, step and jump their way to World Championships gold.
|
| 17/02/2003 - FELINE, FEMININE….AND FRIGHTENINGLY FAST! |
Never mind the actual race; the instant Marion Jones, Muriel Hurtis and their sprint sisters step onto the track, the crowd only has eyes for them. Superb embodiments of grace and power, these goddesses of the track make for compulsive viewing.
|
| 05/02/2003 - THROWING THEIR WEIGHT AROUND |
There was a time when shot putters could rely on physical strength alone. Not any more. The fine art of putting the shot has evolved in recent years, and today’s elite putters have to call on well-honed technique, peak fitness levels and a healthy dose of showmanship.
|
| 31/01/2003 - A SUBTLE BLEND OF RHYTHM AND BRUTE FORCE |
The hammer has always been a singular athletic discipline; one that is universally admired by the purists and yet generally misunderstood by the public at large. The men and women who finish on the victory podium will have to employ just the right combination of strength, timing, speed and skill.
|
| 13/12/2002 - SLOGGERS ON THE ASPHALT |
The first final of the 9th IAAF World Athletics Championships will be the 20 kilometre walk at 9.30 a.m. on August 23rd, 2003. Let's take a closer look at one of the most physically demanding disciplines in athletics.
|
| 21/10/2002 - A DREAM MARATHON |
A human tide will surround Paris on the 30th and 31st of August 2003. In their golden quest, the marathon runners – men Saturday 30 August, women sunday 31 August – will cross the French capital before joining the Stade de France®.
|
