World record: 7.52m Galina Chistyakova, Soviet Union, Leningrad, Soviet Union, June 11, 1988
Olympic record: 7.40m Jackie Joyner-Kersee, United States, Seoul, South Korea, September 29, 1988
Drechsler led the qualifying with 7.08, the only 7m jump in the prelim-
inary round, but Joyner-Kersee was the favourite, having beaten
Drechsler in all three of their previous championship meetings.
Kravets, 10th four years earlier, produced the first quality jump of the
final, 7.12, in the first round. This was followed by JJK with 7.07 two
jumps later. Neither would improve, but would only be approached by
Drechsler. The German reached 6.99 in the second round, and
improved to produce the gold medal jump of 7.14 in the fourth. Both
Joyner-Kersee and Kravets both reached 7.00 again, but, as the
American graciously put it, “this was Heike’s day.” Nijolė Medvedeva
(LTU) was initially fourth with 6.76, but disqualified after failing a
doping control test.
Qualification> - Thursday, 6th August
Mark 6.75m. Virtual 6.55m. % athletes passed the Mark and nex Best 7 were added to Final.
Germany
United Team
United States
Romania
US Virgin Islands
Poland
Denmark
Lithuania
Austria
Finland
China
South Africa
Italy
Bahamas
individual
Great Britain
Jamaica
North Korea
Paraguay
Benin
Siera Leone
Hungary
Australia
Zaire
