This Day in Track & Field – October 6
1985 – The late date on the calendar didn’t deter East Germany’s Marita Koch from setting the current World Record of 47.60 in the Women’s 400-meters on the final day of the World Cup in Canberra, Australia (10-6). Czech Jarmila Kratochvilova, the former record holder (47.99), finished 5th in the race (50.95).
Another World Record was set by four of Koch’s teammates who won the 4×100 relay in 41.37 (Silke Gladisch-Möller, Sabine Rieger-Günther, Ingrid Auerswald, Marlies Göhr). Koch had earlier won the 200 (21.90) and anchored East Germany to victory in the 4×400 relay. The 4×100 mark lasted for 27 years until the U.S. ran an amazing 40.82 at the 2012 Olympics in London.
The Men’s 4×400 provided a dramatic finish to the meet. Walter McCoy (45.1) had put the U.S. in front on the opening leg, and Andre Phillips, the winner of the 400-Hurdles, and Ray Armstead had maintained the lead through most of the next two legs.
As Michael Franks waited on the inside for the final exchange, the Soviet Union’s Vladimir Krylov moved into the 2nd position, even though his team was in 4th or 5th place at the time. Australia’s Darren Clark, the anchor for the Oceania team, pushed Krylov right into Armstead just as he was about to hand off to Franks. Armstead (46.6) stumbled into the infield, but was able to complete the handoff to Franks. Now in 4th place, Franks (44.2), the winner of the 400, managed to overcome the unexpected deficit, edging Africa’s Innocent Egbunike right at the finish line to give the U.S. the win in 3:00.71. (Africa was later disqualified since Egbunike lost control of his baton right before the finish!)
The victory clinched the men’s team title for the U.S., while East Germany won the women’s team title.
Results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_IAAF_World_Cup
Videos: Koch Women’s 4×100 Men’s 4×400
WR Progressions: 400 4×100
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marita_Koch
2019 – American Nia Ali won the Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles in Doha on the final day of competition at one of the greatest global championships in history. Ali, a 2-time World Indoor Champion, ran a personal best of 12.34 while beating teammate Keni Harrison (12.46), the World Record holder at the time, and Jamaica’s Danielle Williams (12.47), the 2015 World Champion. Finishing a close 4th was Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan (12.49). Williams would win a 2nd World title in 2023.
A potential U.S. sweep ended when Brianna McNeal, the 2013 World and 2016 Olympic champion, was disqualified for a false start in the previous day’s 1st round. The distraught veteran protested at first, but walked off the field after officials showed her the printout of her reaction time.
Ali was joined in her post-race celebration by her two young children, 16-month old daughter Yuri and 4-year-old son Titus.
A confident Timothy Cheruiyot took the lead in the Men’s 1500 from the beginning and never looked back, winning comfortably in 3:29.26, the 2nd-fastest winning time at the Worlds. It was a wild battle for the remaining medals, with Morocco’s Taoufik Makhloufi (3:31.38), the 2012 Olympic champion, and Poland’s Marcin Lewandowski (3:31.46/Nat’l Record) winning silver and bronze. The next 5 men all broke 3:33 in this deepest of all WC finals: Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen (3:31.70), Great Britain’s Jake Wightman (3:31.87), and Josh Kerr (3:32.52), Kenya’s Ronald Kwemoi (3:32.72), the only one to stay with teammate Cheruiyot in the early stages of the race, and American Matthew Centrowitz (3:32.81). 10th was American Craig Engels (3:34.24).
Missing from the event was defending champion Elijah Manangoi, who had beaten Cheruiyot, his friend and training partner, in the 1500 at the Diamond League meet in Doha in early May. An ankle injury suffered in practice forced him to withdraw from the Worlds.
Germany’s Malaika Mihambo won the Women’s Long Jump with a leap of 23-11 1/2 (7.30), the longest jump at the Worlds since 1991. Winning silver and bronze were Ukraine’s Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (22-8 1/2 [6.92]) and Nigeria’s Ese Brume (22-8 [6.91]). 4th was American Tori Bowie (22-4 1/4 [6.81]). Mihambo left soon after the event to spend a month backpacking in Thailand!
The surprise winner of the Men’s Javelin was Grenada’s Anderson Peters (285-1 [86.89]), the Mississippi State Bulldog who had won his 2nd NCAA title in June! Finishing 2nd and 3rd were two of the pre-Worlds favorites, Estonia’s Magnus Kirt (282-10 [86.21]) and Germany’s Johannes Vetter (280-1 [85.37]), the defending champion.
Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, the silver medalist at the 2017 Worlds, fought off a challenge from Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha (26:49.34) on the last lap to win the Men’s 10,000-Meters in 26:48.36, the 2nd-fastest time in WC history. Winning the bronze medal was Kenya’s Rhonex Kipruto (26:50.32). Like the 1500, this was another deep race, with 6 men breaking the 27-minute barrier, including Moh Ahmed (6th), who set a Canadian Record of 26:59.35. 7th with a personal best of 27:04.72 was 34-year old American Lopez Lomong.
The U.S. (3:18.92) won the Women’s 4×400 by almost 3 seconds over Poland (3:21.89), with Jamaica (3:22.37) finishing 3rd. Phyllis Francis put the U.S. in front for good with her lead-off split of 50.5, and she was followed by Sydney McLaughlin, who ran a great 48.8, Dalilah Muhammad (49.5), and Wadeline Jonathas (50.1).
Closing out the 10 days of action in Doha was the Men’s 4×400, which was won by the U.S. in a quick 2:56.69. 2nd and 3rd were Jamaica (2:57.90) and Belgium (2:58.78).
The lineup for the U.S., which won without the services of the injured Michael Norman, was Fred Kerley (44.5), Michael Cherry, whose 43.6 split was the fastest of the race, Wil London (44.4), and Rai Benjamin (44.2).
Medalists/Results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_World_Athletics_Championships
World Athletics
Day 10 Recap
Videos: WLJ M1500 MJT M10k W100h Highlight W&M-4×400
T&F News Coverage(for subscribers): W100h M1500 M10k WLJ MJT M4x400 W4x400
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