THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXTRACTION FROM THE “OSAKA” EDITION OF “ATHLETICS INTERNATIONAL” - THE WORLD’S BEST ENGLISH-LANGUAGE PERIODIC STATS NEWSLETTER. SUBS DETAILS BELOW…
OSAKA’S “EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS”
Two years ago, following the World Championships in Helsinki, we noted that the impact made by European athletes continued to decline. When the inaugural World Champs were staged in 1983 no fewer than 30 of the 41 events (73.1%) were won by Europeans. In 2005 the total of gold medals was 19 from 47 events (40.4%), and in Osaka it was down to 15 (31.9%). The previous lowest victory tally for the men was eight, but only five wins were gained in Osaka, not one of them in a track event.
Men: 100: Devonish GBR 6th; 200: Goúsis GRE 8th; 400: Djhone FRA 5th; 800: Borzakovskiy 3rd; 1500: Casado ESP 7th; 5000: Farah GBR 6th; 10,000: no European competitors; Mar: Röthlin SUI 3rd; 3000SC: Mohamed SWE 4th; 110H: Demidyuk UKR 6th; 400H: Plawgo POL 3rd; HJ: Rybakov RUS 2nd; PV: Mesnil FRA 2nd; LJ: Howe ITA 2nd; TJ: EVORA (POR) 1st; SP: Mikhnevich BLR 3rd; DT: KANTER (EST) 1st; HT: TIKHON (BLR) 1st; JT: PITKAMAKI (FIN) 1st; Dec: SEBRLE (CZE) 1st; 20kW: Fernández ESP 2nd; 50kW: Diniz FRA 2nd; 4x100: Gt Britain & NI 3rd; 4x400: Poland 3rd.
Women: 100: Gevaert BEL 5th; 200: Naimova BUL 5th sf; 400: OHURUOGU (GBR) 1st; 800: Martínez ESP 3rd; 1500: Soboleva RUS 2nd; 5000: Abeylegesse TUR 5th; 10,000: Abeylegesse 2nd; Mar: Simon ROM 5th; 3000SC: VOLKOVA (RUS) 1st; 100H: S Kallur SWE 4th; 400H: Pechonkina RUS 2nd; HJ: VLASIC (CRO) 1st; PV: ISINBAYEVA (RUS) 1st; LJ: LEBEDEVA (RUS) 1st; TJ: Lebedeva 2nd; SP: Ostapchuk BLR 2nd; DT: DIETZSCH (GER) 1st; HT: HEIDLER (GER) 1st; JT: SPOTAKOVA (CZE) 1st; Hep: KLUFT (SWE) 1st; 20kW; KANISKINA (RUS) 1st; 4x100: Belgium 3rd; 4x400: Gt Britain & NI 3rd.
“Commonwealth Champions”
Men: 100: Atkins BAH 2nd; 200: Bolt JAM 2nd; 400: Brown BAH 4th; 800: KIRWA (KEN) 1st; 1500: S Korir KEN 3rd; 5000: Kipchoge KEN 2nd; 10,000: Mathathi KEN 3rd; Mar: KIBET (KEN) 1st; 3000SC: KIPRUTO (KEN) 1st; 110H: Wignall JAM 8th; 400H: McFarlane JAM 5th; HJ: THOMAS (BAH) 1st; PV: Hooker AUS 9th; LJ: Mokoena RSA 5th; TJ: Idowu ENG 6th; SP: Armstrong CAN 9th; DT: Gowda IND dnq (17th); HT: Steacy CAN dnq (13th); JT: Oosthuizen RSA 6th; Dec: Smith JAM 2nd; 20kW: Adams AUS 7th; 50kW: DEAKES (AUS) 1st; 4x100: Jamaica 2nd; 4x400: Bahamas 2nd.
Women: 100: CAMPBELL (JAM) 1st; 200: Campbell 2nd; 400: OHURUOGU (ENG) 1st; 800: JEPKOSGEI (KEN) 1st; 1500: Kibiwott KEN 6th; 5000: Cheruiyot KEN 2nd; 10,000: Pavey ENG 4th; Mar: NDEREBA (KEN) 1st; 3000SC: Jepkorir KEN 3rd; 100H: Felicien CAN 2nd; 400H: RAWLINSON (AUS) 1st; HJ: Spencer LCA 15th=; PV: Howe AUS 11th; LJ: George IND 9th; TJ: Smith JAM dnq (24th); SP: VILI (NZL) 1st; DT: Samuels AUS dnq (13th); HT: no competitors; JT: Sayers ENG dnq (18th); Hep: Sotherton ENG 3rd; 20kW: Jackson ENG 25th; 4x100: Jamaica 2nd; 4x400: Jamaica 2nd.
The Americans enjoyed their most successful World Champs with 26 medals, 14 of them gold. They also won 14 events in 2005 but their medal total was 25.
ATHLETICS INTERNATIONAL 2007
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