When you talk about the all-time great performances in track and field, there are a few standards that jump out at us from the track and field record boards. There is Bob Beamon and his record long jump in the altitude in Mexico City in 1968. Usain Bolt has been electrifying stadium crowds with his blazing speed, which delivered him the world record in the 100-meter dash of 9.58 seconds.
For whatever reason, these are the records that capture our imagination when we talk track and field. However, there are other world records that may not hold a spot in our collective memory banks that still represent outstanding performances.
Tommie Smith has become a cultural touchstone for the moment of protest he and teammate John Carlos staged on top of the medal stand, also at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Most fans forget, however, that what delivered Smith to the stand to engage in that silent protest was a record-setting performance in the straightaway 200-meter dash. In fact, Smith had just become the first athlete to break the 20-second barrier in the race, setting a record of 19.83 seconds that still stands.
Mention the name Hicham El Guerrouj, and you may get blank stares from cursory track and field fans. The Moroccan runner is well known among true fans of the sport, however, as one of the most dominant distance runners ever. He retired in 2004 after nine years of dominance in the middle distances, setting records that still stand in the 1500 meters, 2000 meters and mile run. In 2004, El Guerrouj became the first runner in 80 years to win both the 1500 meters and 5000 meters in the same Olympics in 2004.
As technology gets better and training techniques improve, there are not a lot of long-standing records in the sport anymore. The men’s long jump may be the one with the fewest progressions in the modern era, with Beamon’s 1968 record standing until it was broken in 1991 by Mike Powell, the current record-holder.
However, the longest-standing individual record currently on the books is the 800 meter world record set in July of 1983 by Jarmila Kratochvílová. The former Czechoslovakian runner won both the 400 meters and 800 meters at the 1983 World Championships, setting records in both. The 400 meter record was broken by Marita Koch in 1985, but the two remain the only women to have broken 48 seconds in the 400 meter land race. Kratochvílová’s record of 1:53.28 in the 800 meters has stood ever since, with only one runner coming within a second of it in the 31 years since.
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