Helsinki games a great success

Press, 17 August 1983, Page 44

Helsinki games a great success

NZPA Helsinki The inaugural world athletics championshhips which ended in Helsinki on Monday achieved what they set out to achieve. That is to complement the boycott-rid-dled Olympic Games, but not to supplant them. The reactions to their success were remarkably uniform,- whether they were from East or West: “It is a great honour because everyone was here, but the Olympic Games after all are the ultimate goal,” said the repeated retrain. On the medal front, the awards went more or less as expected — East Germany * dominating the women's event and the strongest in .the

men’s. The East Germans with ten golds (eight for the women and two only for the men) came out tops, but in terms of total medals, the United States with 24 were best (six gold for the men and two only for the women). The Soviet Union,' finishing third, had a better spread of men and women and were second in total medals with 23, but it represents, nevertheless, a step backwards from Moscow when it was on home territory and favoured by the boycott. Czechoslovakia (9) was the best of the rest, climbing above West Germany (8), while Britain (7), Italy

(3) and Poland (4) scored their usual quota of successes.

The host nation, Finland, Finished eighth equal in the medal table with a medal of each colour. The other countries to provide world title winners were Jamaica, Ireland, Australia, Norway and Mexico.

South American athletes, particularly from Brazil, showed considerable progress, but Africa and Asia were on the whole totally outclassed.

Africa provided only three medal winners — a silver for Kebeke Balacha (Ethiopia) , in the marathon and bronzes for Said Aouita (Morocco) in the 1500 m and .Ajayi Agbebaku (Nigeria) in

the triple jump. Asian countries fared even worse. Only the world record holder Szu Jianhua, in the high jump was up to medal grade and even he was disappointed with his bronze medal.

Individually one man and two women stood above the rest.

Carl Lewis went to the championships as the won-, der athlete and he fully justified this image. His three gold medals in the 100 m, sprint relay and long jump, plus a decisive hand in one of the two world records set was a magnificent effort and with the 200 m also up his sleeve, Los Angeles and the Olympics beckon to him.

Jarmila Kratochviiova, of Czechoslovakia, may not have the grace of the great American, but for sheer power she is a sight. to behold. Her 400-800 m double was unique for a woman and at the ripe age of 32 years she holds the world record over both distances.

Mary Decker, of the United States, was also up there with the double gold winners, taking on and beating the Soviet monopoly in the 1500 m and 3000 m, producing two of the best finishes of the entire nine days.

Other top moments included the last-gasp victory for Tiina Lillak in the women’s javelin

brought the whole of Finland to attention, and the commanding marathon wins by the training partners, Grete Waitz and Rob de Castella. The unbridled emotion of the hefty Czech, Helena Fibingerova,.when she finally flung off the jinx of the mighty Ilona Slupianek to win the women’s shot put was a thrilling sight to behold.

The scene is excitingly set for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics when, barring boycotts and injury, the actors and actresses who enthralled Helsinki for a week will again grab the attention of the whole world for a few brief but heady days.