World Rekord: 2.39m Zhu Jianhua, China Eberstadt, West Germany 10th June 1984
Olympic Record: 2.36m Gerd Wessig, East Germany Moscow, Soviet Union 1st August 1980
Dietmar Mögenburg had been the world’s best in 1979, when aged 17.
He then became the world record holder at 18 and the European
Champion in 1982. Yet the emergence of Zhu had overshadowed the
tall (2.01) German, thanks to a series of world records culminating in
2.39 in Germany the month before Los Angeles. None of the medal
prospects missed at a height until 2.27, though the FRG’s Carlo
Thränhardt had to retire after attempting to compete on a sprained ankle.
Eighteen year-old Sjöberg and Commonwealth champion Milt Ottey
failed once at 2.27. At 2.29 four cleared, and the three who elected to
try 2.31 all cleared the higher height, leaving Nordquist, Ottey and
straddler Liu in places five to seven. Sjöberg, in fourth place, moved to
second by clearing 2.33 on his second jump after Mögenburg had made
it first time. Both the veteran Stones and Zhu missed at 2.33, with
bronze going to Zhu because Stones had one failure in his series to
2.31. The Chinese jumper’s concentration was disrupted when waiting
for his second attempt, when Steve Ovett collapsed on the edge of the
high jump apron. Mögenburg cleared 2.35 first time, his seventh jump
of the day without any failures. He then had three reasonable jumps at
a world record of 2.40.
West Germany
Sweden
Chinaa
United States
Canada
Finland
Switzerland
Belgium
Japan
France
Bahamas
Australia
Great Britain
Yugoslavia
Bermuda
Greece
Jamaica
Hong Kong
Chinese Taipe
Zambia
