TITLES:
-The World Cross Country Championships
were held in Marrakesh, Morocco.
-Emma George breaks all Pole Vault records.
-Marion Jones and Frankie Fredericks run
fast races in Japan and South Africa.
-Kostantinova will not compete in 1998,
while her rival in Atlanta, Niki Bakogianni, creates a new web site, with
the help of
"The Athletics Site"
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WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
On March 21 and 22, the World Cross Country
Championships were held in Marrakesh, Morroco.
The winners of the various events were
Pault Tergat (for the fourth time of his career), John Kibowen and Somia
O' Sullivan who won both the women's events.
The Competition was held with a lot of sucess, but a major
problem occured when the Moroccan authorities
did not let the Israeli National Team to enter Morocco. The
authorities cited "security reasons" and
IAAF had to condemn their action on March 23. The International
Federation stated: "The decision by the
local authorities to prohibit the Israeli team from entering Morocco
contravenes the IAAF's fundamental principles
and objectives in the organisation of international athletics
around the world." The IAAF also stated
that such an action was contrary to written guarantees provided by the
Moroccan government at the time of Marrakesh's
candidature for the World Championships in December 1996.
Back to the event itself the first ten
athletes of each category were:
Men -Short Distance
1. John Kibowen (Kenya)
10:43
2. Daniel Komen (Kenya)
10:46
3. Paul Kosgei (Kenya)
10:50
4. Benjamin Limo (Kenya)
10:59
5. John Kosgei (Kenya)
11:04
6. Brahim Boulami (Morocco)
11:06
7. Marc Davis (U.S.)
11:08
8. Kipkuri Misoi (Kenya)
11:10
9. Hicham Bouaouiche (Morocco)
11:11
10. Maru Daba (Ethiopia)
11:11
Women -Short Distance
1. Sonia O'Sullivan (Ireland) 12:20
2. Zohra Ouaziz (Morocco) 12:34
3. Kutre Dulecha (Ethiopia) 12:37
4. Anita Weyermann (Switzerland) 12:45
5. Restituta Joseph (Tanzania) 12:46
6. Beatrice Omwanza (Kenya) 12:48
7. Rodica Nagel (France) 12:48
8. Elva Dryer (USA) 12:51
9. Amy Rudolph (USA) 12:51
10. Samukeliso Moyo (Zimbaboue) 12:51
Men
1 TERGAT Paul
KEN 34:01
2 KOECH Paul
KEN 34:06
3 MEZEGEBU Assefa
ETH 34:28
4 NYARIKI Thomas
KEN 34:37
5 KIPKETER Wilson Boit
KEN 34:38
6 KELONG Christopher
KEN 34:41
7 KIRUI Ismael
KEN 34:41
8 MOURHIT Mohammed
BEL 34:44
9 CASTRO Domingos
POR 34:46
10 RONCERO Fabian
ESP 34:50
Women
1. Sonia O'Sullivan (Ireland)
25:39
2. Paula Radcliffe (Britain)
25:42
3. Gete Wami (Ethiopia)
25:49
4. Merima Dendoba (Ethiopia)
25:56
5. Jackline Maranga (Kenya)
25:56
6. Julia Vaquero (Spain)
26:06
7. Jane Omoro (Kenya)
26:07
8. Leah Malot (Kenya)
26:16
9. Ayelech Worku (Ethiopia)
26:17
10. Sally Barsosio (Kenya)
26:27
For the full results you can consult the
IAAF pages (www.iaaf.org) or our Site's Results pages.
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EMMA GEORGE BREAKS ALL POLE VAULT RECORDS
The Australian Emma George is now the
holder of both the Outdoor and the Indoor mark as she has reached
the 4, 59 m. height for the Outdoors competition
and the 4, 55 m. for the Indoor. Emma is having an
extraordinary season already and we all
hope that she will continue bettering her records, as well as that all
the
other stars that we enjoyed during the
Indoor season will be able to bring the competition in a higher level.
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JONES AND FREDERICKS SPRINT TOP PERFORMANCES
Marion Jones made the best Indoor 60 m.
mark for this year with a race at 6" 95., just 0" 03. outside Privalova's
world record, in Maebashi, Japan on March
7. On the other hand, Frankie Fredericks made the first top outdoor
performance for 1998 with his win at the
South African GP II in Johannesburg on March 27. He ran the 100 m. in
9" 96., which is an allcomers record for
South Africa. The weather conditions were poor (it was raining) but the
Namimbian seemed to be form another planet
as he left Deji Aliu at 10" 22. wondering what's going on...
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KONSTANTINOVA WILL NOT COMPETE IN 1998.
World high jump record holder Stefka Kostantinova
of Bulgaria stated in an interview at the Bulgarian radio that
she would not compete again this year
because of illness. Kostantinova, 33 years old, told Bulgarian radio: "I
want a full rest." The Olympic gold medallist
missed last year's World Championships in Athens because of a
heel injury. The reigning world record
holder outdoors at 2.09 metres said she took the decision mainly because
there were no major competitions this
year.
Meanwhile, her opponent at the Atlanta
Olympics, Niki Bakogianni of Greece, who was second with 2, 03 m.
created a new web site (at www.niki-bakogianni.gr)
with the help of our site. The pages are both in Greek and
English and the visitors can learn a lot
of information on Bakogianni, on Greek Athletics and on the Olympic
Movement.
For this month we have prepared a special
Women's high jump statistic table with the WR progression the
Greek NR progression and all the Olympic
medal winners of the event. Enjoy it!
WR PROGRESSION
1.62 Carolien Gisolf NED 12 Jun 31 Amsterdam
1.65 Jean Shiley
USA 07 Aug 32 Los Angeles
1.65 Mildred Didrickson USA
07 Aug 32 Los Angeles
1.66 Dorothy Adam GBR 29 May 39
Brentwood
1.66 Esther van Heerden SAF 29 Mar 41
Stellenbosch
1.66 Ines Pfennig SUI 27 Jul 41
1.71 Fanny Blankers-Koen NED 30
May 43 Amsterdam
1.72 Sheila Lerwill GBR
07 Jul 51 London
1.73 Alexandra Tchudina URS 22 May 54
Kiev
1.74 Thelma Hopkin GBR 05 May 56 Belfast
1.75 Yolanda Balas ROM 14
Jun 56 Bucuresti
1.76 Mildred McDaniel USA 01 Dec 56 Melbourne
1.76 Yolanda Balas ROM 12 Oct 57 Bucuresti
1.77* Cheng Feng-Jung CHN 17 Noe 57 Beijing
1.78 Yolanda Balas ROM 07 Jun 58 Bucuresti
1.80 Yolanda Balas ROM 22 Jun 58 Cluj
1.81 Yolanda Balas ROM 31 Jul 58 Poiana
Stalin
1.82 Yolanda Balas
ROM 02 Oct 58 Bucuresti
1.83 Yolanda Balas
ROM 18 Oct 58 Bucuresti
1.84 Yolanda Balas
ROM 21 Sep 59 Bucuresti
1.85 Yolanda Balas
ROM 06 Jun 60 Bucuresti
1.86 Yolanda Balas
ROM 10 Jul 60 Bucuresti
1.87 Yolanda Balas
ROM 15 Apr 61 Bucuresti
1.88 Yolanda Balas
ROM 18 Jun 61 Warszawa
1.90 Yolanda Balas
ROM 08 Jul 61 Budapest
1.91 Yolanda Balas ROM 16
Jul 61 Sofia
1.92 Ilona Gusenbauer AUT
71
1.92 Ulrike Meyfarth FRG ?
Oct 72 Munich
1.94 Yordanka Blagoyeva BUL 24 Oct 72
Zagreb
1.94 Rosemarie Witchas DDR 25 Aug 74 Berlin
1.95 Rosemarie Witchas DDR 08 Sep 74 Rome
1.96 Rosemarie Witchas DDR
76
1.96 Rosemarie Ackermann-Witchas DDR
76
1.97 Rosemarie Ackermann-Witchas
DDR 77
2.00 Rosemarie Ackermann-Witchas
DDR 26 Aug 77 Berlin
2.01 Sara Simeoni ITA
04 Aug 78 Brescia
2.01 Sara Simeoni ITA 31 Aug 78
Prague
2.02 Ulrike Meyfarth FRG 08
Sep 82 Athens
2.03 Ulrike Meyfarth FRG 21 Aug 83 London
2.03 Tamara Bykova URS 21 Aug 83 London
2.04 Tamara Bykova URS 25 Aug 83 Pisa
2.05 Tamara Bykova URS 22 Jun84 Kiev
2.07 Ludmilla Andonova BUL 20 Jul 84 Berlin
2.07 Stefka Kostadinova BUL 28 Aug 85
Sofia
2.08 Stefka Kostadinova BUL 01 Jun 86
Sofia
2.08 Stefka Kostadinova BUL 30 Aug 87
Rome
* set with build-up shoe, subsequently
disallowed.
GREEK NR PROGRESSION
Domna Lianitou
1.22 1928
Domna Lianitou
1.27 1929
Domna Lianitou
1.33 1931
Domna Lianitou
1.35 1932
Domna Lianitou
1.36 1932
Domna Lianitou
1.39 1932
Domna Lianitou
1.40 1933
Domna Lianitou
1.42 1935
Domna Lianitou
1.45 1935
Domna Lianitou
1.50 1935
Kamenou
1.51 1960
Kamenou
1.52 1961
Kamenou
1.54 1961
Theodorou
1.55 1969
Sergidou
1.59 1970
Eleftheria Papageorgiou
1.60 1971
Eleftheria Papageorgiou
1.62 1971
Eleftheria Papageorgiou
1.63 1971
Georgia Trimi
1.65 1973
Eleftheria Papageorgiou
1.66 1973
Georgia Trimi
1.68 1973
Georgia Trimi
1.70 1973
Georgia Trimi
1.71 1973
Georgia Trimi
1.73 1974
Georgia Trimi
1.75 1974
Georgia Trimi
1.76 1974
Georgia Trimi
1.77 1974
Alexandra Batatoli
1.78 1975
Alexandra Batatoli
1.79 1975
Alexandra Batatoli
1.80 1976
Alexandra Batatoli
1.81 1976
Niki Bakogianni
1.82 1985
Niki Bakogianni
1.85 1985
Niki Bakogianni
1.86 1987
Niki Bakogianni
1.87 1987
Niki Bakogianni
1.88 1987
Niki Bakogianni
1.89 1989
Niki Bakogianni
1.90 1989
Niki Bakogianni
1.93 1989
Niki Gavera
1.94 1990
Niki Gavera
1.95 1990
Niki Bakogianni
1.96 1996
Niki Bakogianni
1.97 1996
Niki Bakogianni
1.99 3 Aug 96, Atlanta
Niki Bakogianni
2.01 3 Aug 96 Atlanta
Niki Bakogianni
2.03 3 Aug 96 Atlanta
OLYMPIC MEDALS
1928
1. Ethel Catherwood CAN 1.59
2. Carolina Gisolf HOL 1.56
3. Mildred Wiley USA 1.56
1932
1. Jean Shiley USA 1.65
2. Mildred Didrikson USA 1.65
3. Eva Dawes CAN 1.60
1936
1. Ibolya Csak HUN 1.60
2. Dorothy Odam GBR 1.60
3. Elfriede Kaun GER 1.60
1948
1. Alice Coachman USA 1.68
2. Dorothy Tyler GBR 1.68
3. Micheline Ostermeyer FRA 1.61
1952
1. Esther Brand RSA 1.67
2. Sheila Lerwill GBR 1.65
3. Alexandra Chudina URS 1.63
1956
1. Mildred McDaniel USA 1.76
2. Thelma Hopkins GBR 1.67 and
2. Maria Pissrayeva URS 1.67
1960
1. Iolanda Balas ROM 1.85
2. Jaroslawa Joswiakowska
POL 1.71 and
2. Dorothy Shirley GBR 1.71
1964
1. Iolanda Balas ROM 1.90
2. Michele Brown AUS 1.80
3. Tasia Chenchik URS 1.78
1968
1. Miloslava Rezkova CHE 1.82
2. Antonina Okorokova URS 1.80
3. Valentina Kozyr URS 1.78
1972
1. Urlike Meyfarth FRG 1.92
2. Yordanka Blagoyeva BUL 1.88
3. Ilona Gusenbauer AUT 1.88
1976
1. Rosemarie Ackermann GDR 1.93
2. Sara Simeoni ITA 1.91
3. Yordanka Blagoyeva BUL 1.88
1980
1. Sara Simeoni ITA 1.97
2. Urszula Kielan POL 1.94
3. Jutta Kirst GDR 1.94
1984
1. Urlike Meyfarth FRG 2.02
2. Sara Simeoni ITA 2.00
3. Joni Huntley USA 1.97
1988
1. Louise Ritter USA 2.03
2. Stefka Kostadinova BUL 2.01
3. Tamara Bykova URS 1.99
1992
1. Heike Henkel FRG 2.02
2. Alina Astafei ROM 2.00
3. Ioamnet Quintero CUB 1.97
1996
1. Stefka Kostadinova BUL 2.05
2. Niki Bakogianni GRE 2.03
3. Inka Babakova UKR 2.01
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MORE NEWS
Italy's Baldini wins fast Rome marathon
Italy's Stefano Baldini won the men's
Rome marathon on March 29, beating Ethiopia's 1996 winner Moses Taye
in a race in which the lead changed
hands 12 times. Baldini was the winner with the time of two hours, nine
minutes and 33 seconds whileTaye's time
was 2:09.51. Ecuadorian Franklin Tentorio was third in 2:10.22.
New World Records and a lot of top performances
during the last Indoor weekend of 1998
As the 1998 Indoor season reached its
end, it proved that a lot of athletes remained in top form. In the Gunma
meeting of Maebashi, Japan, Marion Jones
of the U.S. made an astonishing performance at 60 m. running at 6"
95. which is, of course, the best '98
performance. Also, in Sindelfingen of Germany, the Pole Vault world record
was broken again. This time is was Stacey
Dragila's turn to see her name in the WR list. Stacey, as well as
Daniela Bartova, jumped 4, 48 m. It was
the 4th time that this WR was broken during this March. Balakhonova
won the European Championships with 4,
45 m., Bartova jumped 4, 46 m. on 6.3. in Berlin, George 4, 47 m. on
7.3. in Adelaide and Bartova again with
Dragila reached at 4, 48 m. in Sindelfingen, where Gabriela Szabo
made a new 2 Km Indoor record with 5'
30" 53. In Sindelfingen, Mark Crear made the world's best performance
for '98 in 60 m. Hurdles with 7" 38, while
Yoelvis Quesada jumped 17, 38 m. in the Triple Jump.
March 16, 1998: Nikos Pollias wins Balkan
Marathon
Nikos Pollias was the winner of the Balkan
Marathon Championships, held in Skopjia, with the time of 2: 17'
02". Katerina Fotopoulou won silver for
Greece in the women's event, with 2: 48'.
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Michalis Nikitarides
Panayotis Christopoulos