The shock winner of the Olympic gold medal, Ajunwa, led the qualifiers by a whopping 21cm margin at 7.01 but, her left thigh heavily strapped, she hurt herself on her first jump in the final and had to be carried off on a stretcher. Defending champion May led the final with her opening leap of 6.91 until local heroine Xanthou went ahead by 2cm in the third round. However, one round later the 1995 world indoor champion Galkina, a former world junior triple jump record holder, stretched out to a timely personal best of 7.05. Xanthou improved slightly to 6.94 to consolidate second place. May’s 6.91 held up for bronze but, with thousands of Greeks whistling in an unsporting attempt to distract her, the British-born Italian marginally fouled her final attempt, landing beyond 7m. Drechsler, champion in 1983 and 1993, fell just short of a medal with her last jump and one place ahead of another former world champion and record holder in Jackie JoynerKersee. The 100m champion Jones, a novice at this event, placed tenth. |
|
Long Jump |
|
|
7 August |
|
|
Event Report Women Long Jump Final
A spirited competition on the long jump runway produced several big surprises. Lyudmila Galkina of Russia triumphed over better known names to win with a leap of 7.05. Galkina, the world indoor champion in 1995, failed to make the final at both the 1995 Worlds and the 1996 Olympics, so a win here came as a big relief. After the first round, Fiona May of Italy, the defending champion, led with a 6.91. Galkina leapt 6.89 on her first effort. Two-time champion, Jackie Joyner-Kersee sat in 3rd at 6.79. Greece’s Niki Xanthou gave notice that she would challenge when she fouled her first leap in 6.80 territory. May fouled her next two attempts while Xanthou thrilled the audience with a 6.93 that vaulted her into the lead. In round four, Galkina came back with a 7.05 to grab the top spot. Xanthou responded well with an improvement to 6.94. In the final round, Germany’s Heike Drechsler improved to 6.89, good for 4th. Xanthou fouled her last attempt, and Galkina passed. That left May as the final jumper. She nearly moved up to gold with an impressive leap that was safely farther than 7.00, but a narrow foul kept her to bronze. Xanthou’s is the first silver medal ever won by Greece at the World Championships. Chioma Ajunwa, the Olympic champion, attempted to compete but reinjured her left hamstring in an aborted effort of 5.21. Marion Jones, the 100m gold medallist, experienced severe problems with her run-up. Her only fair jump measured 6.63 and she finished 8th.
|
|
Final |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
Lyudmila Galkina |
RUS |
20 Jan 72 |
7.05 |
0.6 |
|
2 |
Níki Xánthou |
GRE |
11 Oct 73 |
6.94 |
0.1 |
|
3 |
Fiona May |
ITA |
12 Dec 69 |
6.91 |
0.8 |
|
4 |
Heike Drechsler |
GER |
16 Dec 64 |
6.89 |
-0.1 |
|
5 |
Jackie Joyner-Kersee |
USA |
3 Mar 62 |
6.79 |
0.7 |
|
6 |
Susen Tiedtke |
GER |
23 Jan 69 |
6.78 |
-0.1 |
|
7 |
Viktoriya Vershinina |
UKR |
11 Jun 71 |
6.71 |
0.8 |
|
8 |
Erica Johansson |
SWE |
5 Feb 74 |
6.64 |
-0.3 |
|
9 |
Magdalena Hristova |
BUL |
25 Feb 77 |
6.64 |
0.4 |
|
10 |
Marion Jones |
USA |
12 Oct 75 |
6.63 |
0.0 |
|
11 |
Sharon Jaklofsky |
NED |
30 Sep 68 |
6.61 |
1.0 |
|
12 |
Chioma Ajunwa |
NGR |
25 Dec 70 |
5.21 |
-0.3 |
|
|
Final 18:25 |
|
Distance |
wind |
1. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5 |
6. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
Lyudmila Galkina |
RUS |
7.05m |
+0.6 |
6.89 |
6.85 |
X |
7.05 |
X |
X |
2 |
Niki Xanthou |
GRE |
6.94m |
+0.1 |
X |
6.69 |
6.93 |
6.94 |
X |
X |
3 |
Fiona May |
ITA |
6.91m |
+0.8 |
6.91 |
X |
X |
6.78 |
6.66 |
X |
4 |
Heike Daute-Drechsler |
GER |
6.89m |
-0.1 |
6.62 |
6.69 |
X |
4.90 |
6.87 |
6.89 |
5 |
Jackie Joyner-Kersee |
USA |
6.79m |
+0.7 |
6.79 |
6.78 |
X |
6.72 |
6.78 |
6.60 |
6 |
Susen Tiedtke |
GER |
6.78m |
-0.1 |
6.75 |
X |
X |
6.78 |
6.54 |
6.77 |
7 |
Viktoriya Vershinina |
UKR |
6.71m |
+0.8 |
4.28 |
6.71 |
X |
X |
6.56 |
6.54 |
8 |
Erica Johansson |
SWE |
6.64m |
-0.3 |
X |
6.54 |
6.64 |
6.54 |
5.34 |
6.41 |
9 |
Magdalena Khristova |
BUL |
6.64m |
+0.4 |
X |
X |
6.64 |
X |
X |
6.45 |
10 |
Marion Jones |
USA |
6.63m |
0.0 |
X |
X |
6.63 |
|
|
|
11 |
Sharon Jaklofsky |
NED |
6.61m |
+1.0 |
6.61 |
6.60 |
6.38 |
|
|
|
12 |
Chioma Ajunwa |
NGR |
5.21m |
-0.3 |
5.21 |
X |
X |
|
|
|
|
Event Report Women Long Jump Qualification
Olympic champion, Chioma Ajunwa of Nigeria produced the longest jump of the qualifying round, and the longest jump of the year, 7.01, on her second attempt to take her into the final on Saturday. She was the best of only six women to exceed the automatic qualifying mark of 6.70, four from group A and two from B. She will be joined by the 1992 Olympic champion, Heike Drechsler. The German, who was world champion in 1983 and 1993, was the first to produce a leap beyond the automatic qualifying distance, jumping 6.80 on her second attempt. It was followed immediately by Ajunwa’s effort. The world’s leading jumper this year prior to this competition, Lyudmila Galkina of Russia, also qualified automatically with 6.75 on her second attempt. The Olympic silver medallist, Fiona May of Italy was another to qualify automatically, but only on her final attempt. She was in 11th position with eight others still to jump when she produced 6.73 to move her to joint fourth position, equal with Sharon Jaklofsky of the Netherlands. Drechsler’s teammate, Susan Tiedtke-Greene, was the other jumper to qualify automatically, with 6.72. Two Americans struggled to qualify - Marion Jones, the recently crowned 100m champion, who scraped in at 12th place with 6.59; and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the world champion in 1987 and 1991, who qualified in equal 10th position, 6.62 her best attempt. The world heptathlon champion, Sabine Braun of Germany, who has a long jump best of 6.76, achieved this year, did not make it to the final, managing only 6.20. She passed her third attempt.
|
|
Qualification |
|
|
7 August |
|
|
|
Group A |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
Chioma Ajunwa |
NGR |
|
7,01 |
+1.1 |
|
2 |
Heike Daute-Drechsler |
GER |
|
6,80 |
-0.3 |
|
3 |
Lyudmila Galkina |
RUS |
|
6,75 |
+0.2 |
|
4 |
Sharon Jaklofsky |
NED |
|
6,73 |
+0.5 |
|
5 |
Erica Johansson |
SWE |
|
6,64 |
-0.4 |
|
6 |
Magdalena Khristova |
BUL |
|
6,63 |
+0.2 |
|
7 |
Jackie Joyner-Kersee |
USA |
|
6,62 |
-0.8 |
|
8 |
Marion Jones |
USA |
|
6,59 |
-0.3 |
|
9 |
Heli Koivula |
FIN |
|
6,57 |
-0.2 |
|
10 |
Yelena Shekhovtsova |
UKR |
|
6,52 |
-0.4 |
|
11 |
Tunde Vaszi |
HUN |
|
6,52 |
+0.4 |
|
12 |
Lacena Golding |
JAM |
|
6,50 |
+0.1 |
|
13 |
Renata Nielsen |
DEN |
|
6,49 |
+0.1 |
|
14 |
Linda Ferga |
FRA |
|
6,46 |
-0.2 |
|
15 |
Valentina Gotovska |
LAT |
|
6,20 |
+0.2 |
|
16 |
Sabine Braun |
GER |
|
6,20 |
+0.4 |
|
17 |
Andrea Avila |
ARG |
|
6,08 |
+1.1 |
|
18 |
Paraskevi Patoulidou |
GRE |
|
5,90 |
-0.9 |
|
19 |
Siulolo Liku |
TON |
|
5,83 |
+0.7 |
|
20 |
Gilda Massa |
PER |
|
5,51 |
-0.6 |
|
- |
Flora Hyacinth |
ISV |
|
DNS |
|
|
|
Group B |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
Fiona May |
ITA |
|
6,73 |
-0.1 |
|
2 |
Susen Tiedtke |
GER |
|
6,72 |
0.2 |
|
3 |
Viktoriya Vershinina |
UKR |
|
6,66 |
1.0 |
|
4 |
Niki Xanthou |
GRE |
|
6,62 |
0.3 |
|
5 |
Joanne Wise |
GBR |
|
6,52 |
0.5 |
|
6 |
Ljudmila Ninova-Rudoll |
AUT |
|
6,50 |
0.6 |
|
7 |
Nina Perevedentseva |
RUS |
|
6,45 |
-0.4 |
|
8 |
Agata Karczmarek |
POL |
|
6,44 |
0.5 |
|
9 |
Yelena Pershina |
KZK |
|
6,38 |
0.5 |
|
10 |
Jackie Edwards |
BAH |
|
6,38 |
-0.6 |
|
11 |
Sharon Couch-Jewell |
USA |
|
6,37 |
-0.1 |
|
12 |
Nadine Caster |
FRA |
|
6,37 |
-0.3 |
|
13 |
Yelena Donkina |
RUS |
|
6,29 |
0.9 |
|
14 |
Chantal Brunner |
NZL |
|
6,26 |
0.2 |
|
15 |
Eunice Barber |
SLE |
|
6,19 |
0.2 |
|
16 |
Jelena Blazevica |
LAT |
|
6,18 |
0.6 |
|
17 |
Yelena Lemeshevskaya |
BLR |
|
6,07 |
-0.2 |
|
18 |
Luciana Alves Dos Santos |
BRA |
|
5,92 |
0.7 |
|
19 |
Anja Valant |
SLO |
|
5,77 |
1.0 |
|
20 |
Elisa Perez |
DOM |
|
5,67 |
0.0 |
|
21 |
Vera Bregu-Bitanji |
ALB |
|
5,58 |
-0.4 |
|
22 |
Maria Fletschmann |
GUA |
|
5,25 |
0.2 |
|
23 |
Isis Moreno |
PAN |
|
5,08 |
-0.9 |
|
|