Events
Following an explosive start, competitors must negotiate the curve of the track at full speed before sprinting the final 100 meters to the finish. Eight men have won both the 100-meter and 200-meter races in the same Olympic Games, but this year, Michael Johnson of the United States will try for a historic double of a different kind. The world champion in both events, Johnson will attempt to become the first man in Olympic history to win gold medals in both the 200 and 400 meters. The only woman to win both the 200m and 400m, the USA's Valerie BRISCO-HOOKS captured the double in 1984. Jamaica's Merlene OTTEY won the 1995 World Championship, edging out rival Irina PRIVALOVA of Russia.
In the sprint races of 400m and less, the starter's command of "on your marks" calls the runners to the blocks and "set" prompts runners to the motionless ready position. With the sound of the starting pistol, competitors in the 400m bolt from the blocks in a full-lap sprint around the track. One of the original athletics events contested at the 1896 Games, the 400m remains an unequaled test of speed and endurance. Only six nations have produced Olympic 400m men's champions with the United States capturing 16 of the 23 gold medals awarded in the event. Michael JOHNSON of the United States won the event at the 1995 World Championships with world record holder Butch REYNOLDS of the United States taking the silver medal. With the exception of the 1992 Barcelona Games, the women's race has produced or tied an Olympic record at every Games since the event debuted in 1964. The defending Olympic women's champion, France's Marie-Jose PEREC won the event at the 1995 world championships.
In the women's 100m hurdles, the USA's Gail DEVERS is the 1995 world champion but finished fifth in the 100m hurdles at Barcelona. Olga SHISHINGA of Kazakstan finished second at the world championships while Russia's Yuliya GRAUDYN took the bronze medal.
In just two laps around the track, runners in the 800 meters will display the speed of a sprinter, the stamina of a distance runner and the savvy of a scientist. Position is essential in this tactical race, with plenty of jostling and bumping as runners seek room to run without getting boxed in. The decision on when to break for the finish is crucial, and could spell the difference between an Olympic champion and an also ran. Denmark's Wilson KIPKETER won the men's world championship while on the women's side, Maria Mutola of Mozambique is expected to continue her rivalry with world champion Ana QUIROT of Cuba.
One of the glamour events of any athletics competition, the "metric mile" is as tactical as it is athletic. Starting from the backstretch, runners will move to the inside lanes at the sound of the starting pistol and often remain bunched together for the remainder of the 3-1/2 laps. Positioning and timing are the decisive keys to the race as runners wait for the opportune moment to break from the pack and make a strong run to the finish.
Since 1990, Algeria's Niureddine MORCELI has dominated the men's 1500m setting the world record and capturing three world championship titles. MORCELI finished a disappointing seventh place in Barcelona. Moracco's Rashid EL BASIR finished second in the event in Barcelona and fourth at the 1995 world championships. For the women, Algerian Hassiba BOULMERKA is the defending world and Olympic champion.
Strategies may differ from runner to runner, but stamina remains the overriding quality for success in this 25-lap race. Athletes from Finland have captured seven of the 18 men's gold medals awarded in the men's event, but runners from the African nations of Kenya, Morocco and Ethiopia have become increasingly familiar fixtures on the victory podium. Although men have competed in the Olympic 10,000m since 1912, the women's race made its debut at the 1988 Games. Portugal's Fernanda RIBEIRO won the 1995 world championship with Ethipoia's Derartu TULU placing second and Kenya's Tecla LOURPE third. LOURPE is a two-time New York Marathon champion but is expected to compete in the 10,000m in Atlanta. On the men's side, Ethiopia's Haile Gebreselasie won the 1995 world championship, defeating 1992 Olympic gold medalist Kahid SKAH of Morocco.
Comprised of 28 hurdles and seven water jumps, the 3000m steeplechase is as much a test of agility as endurance. Each barrier is 91.4 cm (3 ft) high, the same height as the men's 400m hurdles, and may be either stepped on or hurdled by the competitors. The water jump is hip-deep close to the hurdle, so runners generally step up on the barrier and launch themselves to the shallow end of the gradually sloping pool. Perhaps no country has dominated an event like Kenya has the steeplechase. Runners from Kenya swept the medals in 1992 and have won 10 of the 15 medals awarded in the Games they have attended since 1968. World champion Moses Kiptanui and world runner-up Christopher KOSKEI are Kenya's top threats to continue the tradition.
One of the most physically demanding of the running events, the 400m hurdles requires the speed and endurance of a 400m sprinter in addition to the grace and dexterity of a hurdler. Like the 400m race, competitors begin from a staggered start and remain in their lanes for an entire lap around the track while clearing 10 hurdles on their way to the finish. The hurdles are lower than those used in the 110m and 100m events, but competitors will follow a similar rhythmic pattern as they take 13 to 15 strides between each barrier.
Derrick ADKINS of the United States won the 1995 world championship beating Zambia's Samuel MATETE and France's Stephane DIAGANA. DIAGANA finished fourth in the event in Barcelona while the United States' Danny HARRIS won an Olympic silver medal in 1984. Kevin YOUNG of the United States set the world record in the event in winning the gold medal at Barcelona.
Kim BATTEN of the United States set the women's world record in the event at the 1995 world championships, edging out the United States' Tonja BUFORD-BAILEY and Jamaica's Deon HEMMINGS. BATTEN and BUFORD-BAILEY also finished 1-2 at the 1995 Pan American Games.
It's just a lightweight tube made of aluminum or alloy, but during the relay events, the baton is as valuable as gold, silver or bronze. Dropping it mean's virtual elimination and exchanging it beyond the allotted 20 meters means disqualification.
In the 4 x 100m, each team member sprints the baton 100 meters. The first runner is generally the quickest starter, while the second leg is strong on the straightaway. The third member of the team should be the best at running the curve while the last team member, or the anchor, is usually the team's fastest runner. The United States men have won all but three of the Olympic 4 x 100m relays they have entered, losing in 1912, 1960 and 1988 due to disqualification. The United States women also have dominated the event, winning eight times including gold medals in 1984, 1988 and 1992.
In the 4 x 400m, each team member runs one complete lap of the track (400m). The first leg of the race is run in lanes, but competitors on the second leg may break to the inside lane after completing the first curve. The USA's men have won 14 of the 19 Olympic 4 x 400m relays. Women began competing in the 4 x 400m relay in 1972 with athletes from Germany or the former Soviet Union winning five of the six gold medals.
Like the marathon, walks are road events that begin and end in the Olympic Stadium. The 10km course for women and looping 20km and 50km courses for men will take competitors up and down Atlanta's Central Avenue using a technique former International Olympic Committee president Avery Brundage described as "the closest a man can come to the pangs of childbirth." Competitors in the event must keep one foot on the ground at all times and must straighten the leg fully with each. The result is an upright, hip-swiveling motion drawing curious looks from neighborhood residents and close attention from race officials. Judges monitor runners throughout the race to make sure they do not violate the strict rules of movement. A white flag warns a walkers for illegal technique, and after three warnings, a red flag disqualifies them.
Italy's Michele DIONDI captured the 1995 world championship in the 20km walk while Finland's Valentin KONONEN won the world 50km event. KONONEN finished seventh in Barcelona. Poland's Robert KORZENIOWSKI finished third at the 1995 world championships and could find some redemption in Atlanta. KORZENIOWSKI entered the stadium in second place in Barcelona only to learn he had been disqualified.
In the women's 10km event, Irina STANKINA of Russia won the 1995 world title, defeating Italy's Elisabetta PERRONE and Russia's Yelena NIKOLAYEVA. NIKOLAYEVA earned the Olympic silver medal in Barcelona.
Although never run in the Ancient Games, the marathon may still be the most historic race on the Olympic Programme. The 41km (26 miles 385 yards) race commemorates the story of Pheidippides, a messenger, who made the run from Marathon to Athens to bring the news of an Athenian victory. The legend states the messenger died upon completing his mission, and the grueling race has taken an equally exhausting toll on modern runners. The marathon for the Centennial Olympic Games will take runners from the stadium, through the streets of Atlanta and then back to the stadium as the climactic event of the athletics competition.
From the straddle to the flop, the high jump remains one of the most remarkable of athletic achievements. Hurling their bodies high into the air, athletes continue in the competition until eliminated by missing three consecutive attempts at clearing the bar. While competitors may use any one of a variety of jumping techniques, most jumpers will opt for the flop. Revolutionized by 1968 gold medalist Dick Fosbury (USA), the flop features a head-first leap with the back arched over the bar. The technique was later used by Javier Sotomayor (CUB) in clearing a world-record height of 2.45 meters (8' 1/2") in 1993. SOTOMAYOR is the defending Olympic men's champion and should battle 1995 world champion Troy KEMP of the Bahamas for top honors. Sefka KOSTADINOVA of Bulgaria won the 1995 women's world title after earning an Olympic silver medal in 1988 and finishing fifth in 1992.
In an event where records were once thought unbreakable, long jumpers continue soaring closer to new standards. Sprinting down the runaway, competitors take flight from the take-off board before landing in the sand-filled pit. The soft plasticine strip on the pit side of the board marks any fouls resulting from overstepping the board. All jumps are measured from the front of the takeoff board to the landing mark closest to the board. Competitors take three jumps in the preliminaries, with 12 jumpers advancing to the finals where they take three more jumps. The top eight performers then take three more jumps with the best of their six final jumps deciding the final standings. The United States has dominated the men's event, winning the gold medal in 20 of 23 Olympic competitions. Bob BEAMON's (USA) remarkable leap of 8.9 meters (29' 2.5") at the 1968 Games remains the longest-standing Olympic record in athletics competition. Carl LEWIS (USA) is the only man to win the event more than once, earning an incredible three gold medals. World record holder Mike POWELL finished second to LEWIS in Barcelona while defending world champion Ivan PEDROSO of Cuba finished fourth in 1992. Italy's Fiona MAY won the women's event at the 1995 World Championships, beating Cuba's Niurka MONTALOVA, Russia's IRINA MUSHAILOVA and 1988 Olympic gold medalist Jackie JOYNER-KERSEE of the United States.
In 1896, the triple jump produced the first gold medal winner of the Modern Olympic Games. One hundred years later, the event will crown its first women's champion. The women's triple jump, or hop, step and jump as it was once known, joins the men's event for the first time on the Olympic Programme. Best described by the three distinct phases of the leap, the triple jump begins with competitors starting down the runway and pushing off for a "hop" as they take off and land on the same foot. Continuing their momentum, competitors whip their trailing leg forward for a "step" of about 5 meters (17 feet) before ending the attempt with a leap similar in form to the long jump. Competitors take three jumps in the preliminaries, with 12 athletes advancing to the finals where they take three more jumps. The top eight performers then take an additional three jumps with the best of their six final attempts deciding the final standings.
Great Britain's Jonathan EDWARDS broke the world record twice in consecutive jumps at the 1995 world championships and became the first man ever to sail past the celebrated 18m (60ft) plateau on a legal jump. Ukraines' Inessa KRAVETS captured a world record of her own in winning the world championship and should face Iva PRANDZHEVA (BUL) and Anna BIRYUKOVA (RUS) in a showdown for the historical first Olympic gold medal.
Derived from an ancient sport of sledgehammer throwing, today's hammer is a 7.3kg (16lb) ball attached to 1.2 meters (nearly 4 feet) of wire. Momentum and velocity are the keys to a successful throw. Inside the throwing circle and within the protective cage, competitors swing the hammer in an arc below their knees and above their heads, generating force to fling the hammer out on to the marked landing area. Throws are measured from the nearest mark made by the hammer to the inner edge of the throwing ring. Each finalist is credited with the best of six final throws. Eastern European nations, particularly athletes from the former Soviet Union, have dominated the event from 1956 through 1988 including Soviet sweeps of the medals in 1976, 1980 and 1988. The Unified Team swept the event in 1992. Athletes in the hammer throw competition have set world or Olympic records in 10 of the past 13 Olympic Games.
The top contenders in the hammer are as familiar with each other as they are the path to the victory stand. Andrey ABDUVALIYEV of the Republic of Tajikistan is the defending world and Olympic champion while Igor ASTAPKOVICH of Belarus earned runner-up finishes at both the world championships and 1992 Olympic Games and Tibor GESEK of Hungary captured the world bronze medal and the 1992 Olympic fourth-place finish.
Once thrown for accuracy, the javelin is now a test of distance. Throwers accelerate down the runway before converting the momentum into aerodynamic flight with a hop and a cross-step. After athletes began tossing the javelin at dangerous distances nearing the entire length of the athletics infield, the implement was redesigned to provide a fair but safer competition. Today's men's javelin must weigh at least 800 grams (1 pound, 12.25 ounces) and measure 2.6, 2.7 meters (8 feet, 6 1/4 inches to 8 feet 10 1/4 inches) while the women's javelin weighs 600 grams (1 pound, 5.16 ounces) and measures 220230 cm (7 feet 2- 1/2" to 7' 6 -1/2"). Athletes from Finland and Sweden won eight of the first nine gold medals awarded in the men's javelin and Finnish throwers continue to excel in the sport; winning the gold medal in 1984 and 1988 and taking the silver medal in 1992. The Czech Republic's Jan ZELEZNY is the defending Olympic champion and earned a silver medal in Seoul in 1988. Great Britain's Steve BACKLEY finished second to ZELEZNY at the 1995 world championships and earned an Olympic bronze medal in Barcelona.
On the women's side, throwers from Germany and Great Britain have won seven of the nine medals awarded at the last three Olympic competitions. However, Natalya SHIKOLENKO of Belarus earned a silver medal in 1992 and won the 1995 world championship over Felicia TILEA of Romania and Mikaela INBERG of Finland.
Excellent technique can be more important than brute strength in winning one of the Games' oldest events. Balance and speed are essential as the thrower begins a 540-degree spin before releasing the platter-shaped wood-and-metal implement. Throws are measured from the nearest mark made by the discus to the inside edge of the throwing ring and throwers may not leave the ring until the discus has landed. Following three preliminary throws, the 12 competitors advancing to the finals are credited with the best of six final throws.
Maritza MARTEN of Cuba is the defending women's Olympic champion, but slipped to fourth at the 1995 world championships. Ellena ZVEREVA of Belarus won the world title with Ilke WYLUDDA of Germany finishing second. Germany's Jurgen Schult owns the men's world and Olympic record in the discus and won the gold medal in 1988 and a silver medal in 1992. However fellow countryman Lars RIEDEL won the men's world title in 1995 with SHULT finishing fifth at the world championships. Vladimir DUBROVSHCHIK and Vasiliy KAPTYUKH of Belarus finished second and third at the world championships.
With athletes waging psychological battles in and around the throwing ring, concentration and mental preparation can be as important as strength and form in the shot put competition. While unleashing an intimidating throw early in the competition can provide a big psychological edge, competitors generally use one of two techniques in heaving the metal sphere: the shift and the spin. In the shift, throwers begin with their backs to the landing area and twist forward for momentum while releasing the shot. Parry O'Brien (USA) developed the technique and used it in winning back-to-back gold medals in 1952 and 1956. In 1972, Aleksander Baryshnikov (URS/RUS) introduced the spin, where athletes use a discus-like, 540-degree revolution. The solid-metal shot weighs 7.3 kilograms (16 pounds) for men and 4 kilograms (8 pounds, 13 ounces) for women.
Throws are measured from the nearest mark made by the shot to the inside edge of the throwing ring. Fouls are called if the shot lands outside the landing area, if the competitor leaves the throwing circle before the shot lands or if the thrower touches outside or on top of the metal throwing circle. Competitors take three throws in the preliminaries, with the top 12 advancing to the finals for three more throws. The top eight performers then take an additional three throws with the best of their final six attempts deciding the final standings.
John GODINA (USA) won the 1995 world championship over Hika HALVARI (FIN) and world record holder Randy BARNES (USA). Germany's Astrid KUMBERNUSS won the 1995 women's world title over China's ZHIHONG Huang and Bulgaria's Svetla MITKOVA.
Fiberglass poles and a safer landing pit have helped vaulters soar to new heights in one of the Modern Olympic Games original events. No longer limited by bamboo and sawdust, vaulters have taken advantage of the new innovations to clear heights once considered unreachable. But poles have also been the source of controversy in the event. Although each competitor supplies his own pole, they are carefully checked prior to competition to ensure their legality. Vaulters need a combination of speed and strength. From a full-speed sprint, competitors plant the pole into a sunken, metal-lined box at the end of the runway. Using the bend of the pole, the vaulter climbs to a suspended handstand before turning both legs over the crossbar and pushing off from the pole to complete the vault. Three consecutive misses eliminates the athlete from the competition. As in the other field events, concentration is key and competitors must remain focused during the long wait between jumps. Few athletes escape the pressure. Ukraine's Sergi BUBKA, the world record holder, 1988 gold medalist and perhaps the greatest vaulter of all time, failed to clear a height at the 1992 Games. BUBKA's back in Atlanta, however, for his attempt to become only the second two-time winner of the competition.
The competitions to determine "the world's greatest athletes," the decathlon and heptathlon combine the skills and results of multiple events into one, two-day competition. In the decathlon, men compete in 10 events with the 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400m on the first day before returning for the 110m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and 1500m on the second day. First-day action for the women in the seven-event heptathlon includes the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200m followed by the long jump, javelin and 800m run on the second day. Athletes score points in each event based on a formula for time and distance. The better the performance in each event, the more points scored. It's not necessary for competitors to win each event (placement is not important), but rather to score highly in their strongest events and hit personal best scores in the others.
After his much-publicized miss at making the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, Dan O'Brien (USA) rebounded from his misfortune to set a world record and capture his second world decathlon championship. O'BRIEN should get another chance at the "world's greatest" title against a field that includes 1995 world runner-up Eduard HAMALAINEN of Belarus and world bronze medalist Mike SMITH of Canada.
The heptathlon's dominant athlete for the past decade, Jackie JOYNER-KERSEE of the United States won back-to-back gold medals in Seoul and Barcelona to add to a silver medal won in Los Angeles. The world-record holder could be back for another run at the title in Atlanta but will have to get passed the newest generation of top athletes including 1995 world champion Ghada SHOUAA of Syria and Svetlana MOSKALETS of Russia.
This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for
the Olympic Games Sports Publication Department. Written by Howard
Thomas.
| Closing Ceremony of the 1996 Games involved a crew of 2,100 who worked with more than 3,500 performers as well as thousands of athletes who celebrated on the field of Olympic Stadium. |