This was one of the worst hit events of the Moscow Games, as the
world’s top two men – Greg Foster and world record holder Renaldo
Nehemiah, who between them ran 14 of the 15 fastest times of 1980 –
were missing because of the boycott. Casañas and Munkelt were the
fastest in the first two rounds, with 13.46 and 13.55 in the heats, suc-
ceeded by 13.44 and 13.49 in the semi-finals.
In the final Casañas led the field to the first hurdle, which he hit hard,
and when he did the same at the second, Munkelt was in the lead.
Casañas gained all the way from the third hurdle, and at the 10th was
just behind, with Puchkov 20cm back, and Prokofyev fourth half a
metre behind the East German. Puchkov hit the last hurdle so hard that
it smashed, looking as fragile as balsa wood. The Russian bumped
Munkelt and both lost ground to Casañas, who finished centimetres
behind Munkelt, with Puchkov outleaning Prokofyev for third.