Showing posts with label OLYMPIC HISTORY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OLYMPIC HISTORY. Show all posts

Tribute: Florence Griffith Joyner Flo-Jo (1959 - 1998)

>> December 21, 2011

21 December 1959           :   52 years ago today, Florence Griffith-Joyner (Flo-Jo) the greatest female sprinter of all-time was born. Quick fact, Flo-Jo set the still standing current world records in 100m (10.49s) and 200m (21.34s) which both are widely regarded as the "most impossible world records" ever created in the World of sports. In fact, at the time, the times were faster than MEN's National records of more than half of the countries in the World. At the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, she won 3 gold medals and one silver.

Highlights

100 Metres
She has produced an astonishing performance of 10.49s (0.0m/s) in the 100m following an exceptionally beautiful run during the U.S Olympic Trials. The commentators said, "10.49 wind aided... wait a minute... the wind was... within the legal limit, ahhh cannot be, no one can run that fast..." She won the Olympic 100m title from the 1988 Games, clocking 10.54w in the final, leaving the nearest rival by 0.30s despite of "shutting down" at half of the race where she started smiling and just run through to the line. Five legal-fastest time;

1)          10.49     Indianapolis     U.S Olympic Trials
2)          10.61     Indianapolis     U.S Olympic Trials
3)          10.62     Seoul               Olympic Games
4)          10.70     Seoul               U.S Olympic Trials
5)          10.88     Seoul               Olympic Games
+ non-legal (wind assisted)
1)          10.54     Seoul               Olympic Games
2)          10.60     Indianapolis     U.S Olympic Trials
3)          10.70     Seoul               Olympic Games

Close behind is USA's Camelita Jeter, 10.64s, 2009.

200 Metres
Before 1988, she won  two 200m silver medals from major events, at the Olympic Games (1984 / 22.04s) and World championships (1987 / 21.96s). In 1988, she smashed her personal record four times, including two WR. The new record first set during the Round 1of Olympic Trials (21.90s), and then improved on the mark to 21.77s in the QF,  before clocking 21.85s in the finals. About 9 weeks later, at the Olympic Games she lowered the PR to 21.76s in the QF, again in SF with a time of 21.56s (WR,OR), and once again in the final with an incredible 21.34s (WR,OR).

Nearest behind is USA's Marion Jones, 21.62, 1998

Relays
Flo-Jo won the 4x100m gold medals in the World championships (1987) and Olympic Games (1988). Most admired was her run in the 4x400m at the 1988 Olympics, which was held after her 100m (four times), 200m (four times) and 4x100m (two times). She was impressively pushed the 400m specialist Olga Bryzgina of Soviet Union (World and Olympic 400m champion) until the line and clocked a split time of 48.1s (video on you tube).

Life and Retirement 
In 1987, she married to Al-Joyner the 1984 Olympic triple jump champion, who is the brother to the world greatest all-round female athlete, Jackie Joyner Kersee, whose husband is Bob Kersee, the coach of Flo-Jo prior 1988, before replaced by Al-Joyner.

In 1989,  at age of (turning) 30 and less than a year after the great show in Seoul, she announced her retirement from athletics as an athlete. She was said to be the coach to her husband in a while.

On September 21, 1998, she was found unresponsive and not breathing by husband, was sent to hospital, and then pronounced dead. It was later specified as unexpected heart attack during sleep. She was 37 years old.

Florence Griffith Tribute - Seoul 1988


Florence Griffith 100m World Records 10.49s WR, Indianapolis,  16 July 1988


Florence Griffith 100m (10.54w- WR, 0R), 1988 Seoul Olympics


Florence Griffith 200m, 1988 Seoul Olympics

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Rafer Johnson VS Yang Chuan-Kwang (C.K Yang)

>> September 06, 2011

Johnson and C.K Yang
5 - 6 September   1960: 51 years ago today, two great men competed at the 1960 Olympics in Rome,  Rafer Johnson of the United States with a background of an Olympic silver medalist (1956) and Yang Chuan-Kwang (or C.K Yang) of Chinese Taipei, a two-time Asian Games champion (1954 and 1958). 

Both athletes lived, trained and studied together at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Right before the Olympics, Johnson set a world record of 8,683 while beating Yang in second at 8,426, second best in history.

Yang had the physical attributes to 'attack' the sprint, hurdle, and running events (esp. 100m, 400m and 110mh) but Johnson had the 'strength' to be unlikely matched by his competitors in the throwing events including Yang.

CK Yang won 4 out of 5 events during the first day, but Johnson was ahead by 55 points as he gained a huge point from the shot put, 273 more than Yang. 

Yang took the lead by winning one of his favorites events, the 110mh in which he gained 923 points, 183 higher than Johnson after 6 events. 

But its all changed after the discus with Johnson's exceptional throw gave him a huge point, leading 272 from Yang, and taking the lead again with 74 points after 7 events.

After the 9th event, Yang accumulated 7989 points, and was short of 67 points from Johnson (8056). With a lifetime best of  4:36.0, or 18.2 seconds faster than Johnson's personal best, Yang would win the gold if he finish the 1500m the last event by only 10 seconds ahead of Johnson.

Johnson ran the fastest time in his life, 5 seconds faster than his previous best, only 1.2 seconds slower than Yang to secore the gold medal from Yang.

Yang took the silver medal with a score of 8334, 56 points less of Johnson's winning score of 8392 points.  Russian's Vassily Kuznetsov who broke several world records in the Decathlon (including his 8357, world record in 1959) was quite far behind with 7,809 points for the bronzes.

Below is a detailed statistics of the battle;

RAFER JOHNSON VS YANG CHUAN-KWANG AT THE XVII OLYMPICS, ROME 1960
Johnson
Events
C. K. Yang
948
10.9
100 meters
10.7
1034
906
7.35
Long Jump
7.46
950
976
15.82
Shot Put
13.33
703
832
1.85
High Jump
1.90
900
985
48.3
400 meters
48.1
1005
4647
Total Day 1
4592
740
15.3
110m Hurdles
14.6
923
894
48.49
Discus Throw
39.83
622
795
4.10
Pole Vault
4.30
915
980
69.76
Javelin Throw
68.22
937
336
4:49.7
1500 meters
4:48.5
345
8392 Points (OR)
Total Score
8334 Points (>OR)
Comparative   Statistics
3 events
Javelin
1500m
Shot Put & Javelin
110mh & Pole Vault
7901 Points
Number of event won
Highest score
Lowest score
Killer events
Weaker events
New value (1984 Table)
7 events
100m
1500m
100m & 110mh
Shot Put & Discus
7820 Points

April 28, 1963, at 30, Yang set a new world record with a point of 9,121 at Walnut, California to become the first man to score over 9000 points with then scaling system. In 1980s, the amendment to the scoring formula devalued the score to 8009 points, which also enabled him to become the second man to score over 8000 points in decathlon using the current scaling system.  A serious injury had prevented him to win gold medal at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, and he finished in fifth. He passed away in 2007.

Below is the video of the greatest battle between two friends - Rafer Johnson VS C.K Yang;

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Ten Years Ago Today: Konstantinos Kenteris Captured the 200m Gold Medal at 2000 Sydney Olympic Games

>> September 28, 2010

It was ten years ago today Konstantinos Kenteris of Greece won the men’s 200m at Sydney Olympics. He clocked a time of 20.09s, beaten Darren Campbell (20.14) on the silver position. Ato Boldon, who won silver in 100m earlier, came third in 20.20s.

Kenteris was a 400m runner before switched to 200m during the outdoor season in 1999. At the 1999 World Championship in Seville, he had beaten Maurice Greene (who later became the world champion) in the R1 of 200m but withdrew the quarter finals due to injury.

During the 2000 Olympics, most people surprised when he managed to get a slot of the 200m final. Not like Maurice Greene who won the 100m final earlier, came to Sydney with an overwhelming prospect.

Early in the year, I had predicted the top three on the Olympics podium for 200m would be Michael Johnson, Maurice Greene and Frank Fredericks.

However, both American didn’t proceed due to hamstring injuries en route the 200m final at the U.S Olympics trials. About two weeks before the Olympics, Fredericks pulled out himself due to (ankle?) injury.

In the absence of the three  monsters, John Capel and Ato Boldon were the ones to watch. After the prelim rounds, QFs and SFs, John Capel seems to have a big chance to win, besides Ato Boldon was already run seven times (4 in 100m and 3 in 200m) and rather tired.

NOTE: The men’s 200m SF and Final were held at the same session, which was two hours interval not ONE DAY interval like today’s system. The men’s long jump final also held at the same time, Carl Lewis would get angry with the sort of schedule!

In the final, the field seems very close to each until the 150m mark where all of a sudden Kenteris took the lead and eventually leaving the field to emerge the Olympic champion.

John Capel, who won the U.S Olympic trails (19.85), unfortunately stumbled out of the blocks and finished eighth.

After the Olympics, Kenteris went to win two other major meets, the 2001 World Championship (20.03) and the 2002 European championship (19.85).

Video of 200m Final (Sydney Olympics and Edmonton World Championship)


Men's 200m Final
1, Konstantinos Kenteris, GRE, 20.09. 2, Darren Campbell, GBR, 20.14 3, Ato Boldon, TRI, 20.20. 4, Obadele Thompson, BAR, 20.20. 5, Christian Malcolm, GBR, 20.23. 6, Claudinei Silva, BRA, 20.28. 7, Coby Miller, USA, 20.35. 8, John Capel Jr, USA, 20.49.

SF 1: 1,John Capel Jr, USA, 20.10. 2, Christian Malcolm, GBR, 20.19. 3, Ato Boldon, TRI 20.20. 4, Obadele Thompson, BAR, 20.21. 5, Christopher Williams, JAM, 20.47. 6, Stephane Buckland, MRI, 20.56. 7, Francis Obikwelu, POR, 20.71. 8, Tommi Hartonen, FIN, 20.88.

SF 2: 1, Konstantinos Kenteris, GRE, 20.20. 2, Darren Campbell, GBR, 20.23. 3, Claudinei Silva, BRA, 20.30. 4, Coby Miller, USA, 20.45. 5, Kim Collins, SKN, 20.57. 6, Floyd Heard, USA, 20.63. 7, Koji Ito, JAP, 20.67. 8, Shingo Suetsugu, JAP, 20.69.

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