Venue: Sydney Olympic Stadium. Capp.: 115,000. 39 Competitors from 23 countries.
Qualifiying A Standard: 6.65m. Qualifiying B Standard: 6.50m.
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
The focus was on Marion Jones and her “drive for five” Olympic gold medals, though of course her efforts have since been completely discredited due to long-term doping violations. She had already “won” the 100m and 200m as the long jump final began.
Drechsler (6.84) led the qualifiers, ahead of co-favourite May (6.81) and Jones (6.78). May led the final with her first two efforts of 6.76 and 6.82, but was overtaken by ’92 champion Drechsler, who sailed out to 6.99 in the third round. She was followed immediately by Jones, who
reached 6.92 with her typically low trajectory. Kotova, the other favourite, had a poor competition, reaching her best in round 3 with 6.83. None of the top eight positions changed after round 3, with Jones fouling all three of her jumps, and May again taking the silver.
Drechsler equalled Joyner-Kersee’s event record of three Olympic medals in the event.
In December 2007 the IOC confirmed Jones’s disqualification, and two years later approved the upgrading for Kotova to bronze. Sadly Kotova also went on to be a confirmed drug cheat, following the reanalysis of a sample collected at the 2005 World Championships.
Germany
Italy
Russia
Bahamas
Hungary
Jamaica
United States
Ukraine
Kazakhstan
Sweden
Greece
China
New Zealand
Brazil
Cuba
Kyrgyzstan
US Virgin Islands
Uruguay
Spain
Cameroon
Great Britain
Australia
Latvia
Nigeria
Romania
Argentina
