Jarmila Kratochvílová
Encyclopedia
Jarmila Kratochvílová (ˈjarmɪla ˈkratoxviːlovaː; born 26 January 1951 in Golčův Jeníkov
) is a Czech
former sprinter
and middle distance runner. In 1983, she set world record times for both the 400 metres
and 800 metres
, and won gold medal
s in both distances at the World Championships
.
Kratochvílová was a late developer, whose career was dogged by injury and illness. For most of her career, she was a 400 m specialist, whose achievements were overshadowed by those of her East German rival Marita Koch
. Kratochvílová hit peak form in 1983 at the age of 32. Entering a one-off 800 m race in Munich
, reportedly as a training exercise, Kratochvílová broke the world record with a run of 1:53.28. This convinced her to attempt an unlikely double in the inaugural World Championships 10 days later. Despite a seemingly impossible schedule, she won the 800 m easily (in what is still the 5th best time ever in the event), and set a world record of 47.99 seconds to win the 400 m. Koch, having missed training through injury ran (and won) the 200 metres
. Koch bettered Kratochvílová's 400 m record in 1985. However Kratochvílová's 800 m time is still the world record, and is currently the longest standing individual world record in Track and Field
.
Her remarkable times and muscular appearance have spawned rumors of drug use, never proven.
Golcuv Jeníkov
Golčův Jeníkov is a town in the Havlíčkův Brod District, Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 2,600 inhabitants. It belongs to the historical land of Bohemia.- Villages :...
) is a Czech
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
former sprinter
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
and middle distance runner. In 1983, she set world record times for both the 400 metres
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
and 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
, and won gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
s in both distances at the World Championships
1983 World Championships in Athletics
The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....
.
Kratochvílová was a late developer, whose career was dogged by injury and illness. For most of her career, she was a 400 m specialist, whose achievements were overshadowed by those of her East German rival Marita Koch
Marita Koch
Marita Koch , is a former sprint track and field athlete...
. Kratochvílová hit peak form in 1983 at the age of 32. Entering a one-off 800 m race in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, reportedly as a training exercise, Kratochvílová broke the world record with a run of 1:53.28. This convinced her to attempt an unlikely double in the inaugural World Championships 10 days later. Despite a seemingly impossible schedule, she won the 800 m easily (in what is still the 5th best time ever in the event), and set a world record of 47.99 seconds to win the 400 m. Koch, having missed training through injury ran (and won) the 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
. Koch bettered Kratochvílová's 400 m record in 1985. However Kratochvílová's 800 m time is still the world record, and is currently the longest standing individual world record in Track and Field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
.
Her remarkable times and muscular appearance have spawned rumors of drug use, never proven.