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2024 Paris Olympics
- Thread starter Redford
- Start date
That's even more astonishing. Czech. Right at the height of the Eastern European doping, but never tested positive. It's a shame either way. Either the record is tainted by PEDs, or the holder of that record isnt being celebrated as she deserves.
Jarmila Kratochvilova! Her WR of 1.53 (1983) still stands. The height of the Eastern Bloc ... uh... medical programs.
800m women’s world record holder. One of the (if not, the) longest held world records on the track.
Caster Semenya who was born genuinely intersex couldn’t even get close to the 800m world record, despite making her opponents look every bit as running in a different category.
Yes, the other very long standing WR is the 400m held by Marita Koch of GDR (East Germany). I think achieved the same year as Jamila Kratochvilova achieved the 800m world record.
That is the one more openly discussed, as Marita Koch’s name I believe was discovered (or inferred) in classified documents recovered from the sports ministry of East Germany.
But Jamila Kratochvilova‘s sneaks under the radar a bit, outside of those real athletics buffs. Perhaps because she wasn’t East German. And I don’t believe the Czechoslovakians were systematically out performing as obviously as some other Eastern bloc nations.
She certainly looked far more aesthetically manly than Marita Koch did. I was wondering if perhaps she was born intersex (in an era not as conscious of such issues) looking at her appearance. But have since seen interviews with her in recent years, and despite having a slightly masculine appearance, no where near her competition days. Looks a genuine woman. So suspect it was perhaps a case of juiced up on artificial male hormones during her athletics career.
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French tennis player Amelie Mauresmo would be another one who was suspected......but I think only by her looks.
Shortly after setting that 800 WR of 1.53 Kratochvilova won the 83 World 400m in a WR of 47.99. Then in 85 Marita Koch ran 47.60 in the World Cup here in Canberra. Friend of mine was trackside at the World Cup officiating and described Koch and others' physiques as astonishing.
Regarded as a 'late developer', by 84 it was all over for Jarmila.
The other thing in those days...there were sprinters who looked reasonably normal on the international circuit, and ran ok but not outlandish times. Then in the space of 12 months they completely changed their body shape, like cartoon characters. Chase up pre-87 videos of Florence Griffith if you can be bothered.
Yes, have seen those docos on Flo-Jo that you mention. How she was being beaten by Evelyn Ashford for majority of her career. Then bang, went past her with astonishing progression, well into her career.
I can’t remember who the swimmer was (maybe Beverly Whitfield) who said she gave up swimming after lining up against East German swimmers she had seen in the past who were now unrecognisable because of all the drugs they had taken.
After 88 came the ludicrous announcement that she was going to run a marathon. Then retirement.
Then died. Really at pains to speak ill of the dead. But, you do wonder how an apparently extremely healthy 38 woman can just die suddenly in her sleep. Did a history of using crude performance enhancing drugs play a role?
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Not for mine. Way to much possible damage in open slather chemical enhancement.
The "Enhanced Games" are scheduled for this year or next I think.
en.wikipedia.org
Enhanced Games - Wikipedia
There's a shitload of dopers never tested positive, or even worse been quietly exonerated even to this very day.
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