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<a href="#JPN">Japanese/日本語</a>
In the latest in our &lsquo;seven wonders&rsquo; series, we turn our attention&nbsp;to&nbsp;the most recent global athletics event staged in&nbsp;Japan:&nbsp;the&nbsp;World Athletics Relays Yokohama 2019.&nbsp;
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<h2>&nbsp; Setting the&nbsp;scene&nbsp;</h2>
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The fourth edition of the World Athletics Relays was&nbsp;awarded to Yokohama, Japan after&nbsp;The Bahamas dropped out of staging the event for financial reasons. It was the first time the event had taken place outside of the Caribbean nation who had staged the first three versions of the event in Nassau (2014, 2015 and 2017). The 2019 World Relays took place inside the Yokohama International Stadium on&nbsp;11-12&nbsp;May. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60cb0dab057cd74a212bbb28.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="635" />
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<h2>Broken&nbsp;records&nbsp;</h2>
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A record-breaking 43 countries entered the 2019 edition of the World Athletics Relays&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;one more than the previous record set at the 2015 edition.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Four countries also claimed their maiden&nbsp;victory&nbsp;at the World Relays: France, Brazil, Poland and Trinidad &amp; Tobago. South Africa (second&nbsp;in the men&rsquo;s 4x200m) and Italy (third&nbsp;in the women&rsquo;s 4x400m) also&nbsp;achieved up their first&nbsp;top-three finish&nbsp;at a World Relays.
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<h2>Headline&nbsp;acts&nbsp;</h2>
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In the three previous editions of the World Relays, the US had won gold in each and&nbsp;every&nbsp;men&rsquo;s&nbsp;and women&rsquo;s 4x400m,&nbsp;but their streak came to a shuddering halt in Yokohama.&nbsp;
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In&nbsp;the men&rsquo;s event,&nbsp;a strong quartet of Nathan&nbsp;Strother, Fred&nbsp;Kerley&nbsp;and Michael Cherry handed the baton on to anchor Paul&nbsp;Dedewo&nbsp;with a comfortable&nbsp;five-metre&nbsp;lead. However,&nbsp;Dedewo&nbsp;badly tied up in the final 50&nbsp;metres&nbsp;and was caught by the flying&nbsp;Machel&nbsp;Cedenio&nbsp;in the final stride as Trinidad &amp; Tobago claimed an exhilarating victory. The USA, who crossed the line in second, was&nbsp;later disqualified for a lane violation.&nbsp; 
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 In the women&rsquo;s 4x400m, the sequence of US success came to an end as a talented Polish quartet anchored by&nbsp;Justyna&nbsp;Swiety-Ersetic&nbsp;timed their run to perfection to deny the US by 0.16.&nbsp;
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An experienced US quartet containing Noah Lyles was&nbsp;surprisingly defeated in the men&rsquo;s 4x100m final by a talented and well-drilled Brazilian team, who clinched a narrow victory by 0.02 in a thrilling final.&nbsp;
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US earned some consolation by taking out the men&rsquo;s 4x200m for the first time and&nbsp;winning&nbsp;all three mixed events &ndash; the 4x400m as well as the newly introduced 2x2x400m relay and&nbsp;shuttle&nbsp;hurdles&nbsp;relay.&nbsp;
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<h2>Home&nbsp;stars&nbsp;</h2>
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In the three previous editions of the World Relays, Japan had&nbsp;only once secured a top-three finish, placing third in&nbsp;the men&rsquo;s 4x100m in 2015,&nbsp;but&nbsp;the host county&nbsp;fared much better in 2019. Japan actually surprisingly led after two legs of the&nbsp;shuttle&nbsp;hurdles&nbsp;relay until the US ran them down in the second half of the race. Still,&nbsp;second place&nbsp;was a rich reward for the host nation. Japan executed a tactically astute race to&nbsp;finish third&nbsp;in the 2x2x400m relay thanks to the efforts of&nbsp;Ayano&nbsp;Shiomi&nbsp;and&nbsp;Allon&nbsp;Tatsunami&nbsp;Clay.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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The&nbsp;host nation also claimed fourth-place finishes in the men&rsquo;s 4x400m and women&rsquo;s 4x200m as well as fifth spot in the men&rsquo;s 4x200m. There was disappointment, however, for their highly-rated men&rsquo;s 4x100m who were disqualified for a baton exchange mishap in the heats.
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<h2>Talk of the&nbsp;town&nbsp;</h2>
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Besides the memorable success of Brazil (men&rsquo;s 4x100m), Trinidad &amp; Tobago (men&rsquo;s 4x400m) and Poland (women&rsquo;s 4x400m), France claimed a surprise victory in the women&rsquo;s 4x200m. They did, however, benefit from a pair of shocking baton exchanges by the stellar Jamaican quartet of Elaine Thompson,&nbsp;Stephenie&nbsp;Ann McPherson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and&nbsp;Shericka&nbsp;Jackson, who,&nbsp;despite a pair of blunders,&nbsp;still had the sheer speed to claim&nbsp;third place.&nbsp; 
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 The two new events on the programme &ndash; the 2x2x400m relay and&nbsp;shuttle&nbsp;hurdles&nbsp;relay &ndash; proved a hit with Kenya, who opted to lead off with a male athlete in the former event. But it&nbsp;proved&nbsp;the wrong tactic as&nbsp;USA&rsquo;s Donavan Brazier&nbsp;executed&nbsp;a smartly judged plan to perfection to&nbsp;take the victory.&nbsp;
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Spare a thought too for Australia, one of just three finalists who took to the start line for the shuttle&nbsp;hurdles&nbsp;relay.&nbsp;But&nbsp;Brianna&nbsp;Beahan&nbsp;committed a false start,&nbsp;leading to a heart-breaking disqualification.
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<h2>Innovations&nbsp;</h2>
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Without doubt the introduction of the mixed 2x2x400m relay &ndash; to replace the previously featured 4x800m relay&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;proved a hit as teams were forced to think carefully about tactics and pace judgement in order to deliver. The introduction of the&nbsp;shuttle&nbsp;hurdles relay also injected a new element&nbsp;into the biennial competition.
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<h2>Legacy&nbsp;</h2>
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The 2019 World Relays &ndash; the first be staged outside of&nbsp;The&nbsp;Bahamas &ndash; further helped expand the frontiers of the growing event. A record number of competing nations, plus&nbsp;the&nbsp;greatest spread of&nbsp;top-three finishes,&nbsp;further aided its global appeal while some exhilarating racing and multiple shocks and surprises made edition four of the World Relays, arguably, the best to date.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Steve Landells for World Athletics
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<a name="JPN"></a>&nbsp;
<h1>日本陸上界の七不思議：世界リレー2019横浜</h1>
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<h2>はじめに</h2>
第4回世界リレーは、バハマが財政上の理由により開催を断念したことにより、日本の横浜に開催地を移すことが決定した。ナッソーで過去3回（2014年、2015年そして2017年）行われた世界リレーがバハマ外で行われるのは初めてのことであった。横浜国際スタジアムで5月11日・12日に世界リレー2019横浜が開催された。 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60cb0dc2057cd74a212bbb2b.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="632" />
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<h2>記録の更新</h2>
世界リレー2019横浜では2015年大会より1国多い過去最高の43か国が横浜に集った。
フランス、ブラジル、ポーランドそしてトリニダード・トバゴの4か国が初の優勝を手にした。また、南アフリカ（男子4x200m2位）とイタリア（女子4x400m3位）も初のトップ3と結果を残した。
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<h2>注目のパフォーマンス</h2>
過去すべての大会の男女4x400mで優勝していたアメリカが横浜で連勝記録を途絶えることとなった。
男子4x400mではネイサン・ストローザー、フレッド・カーリー、マイケル・チェリーがアンカーのパウル・デデオへと5mのリードでバトンを繋いだ。しかし残り50mで疲れが出て、トリニダード・トバゴのマシェル・セデニオに交わされる結果となった。トリニダード・トバゴの優勝確定が出た後にアメリカはレーン侵害で失格となりアメリカの連勝は途絶えた。
女子4x400mではシビェンティ＝エルセティック率いる経験豊富なポーランドがアメリカを0.02で下し優勝したことでアメリカの連勝を抑えた。
男子4x100mではノア・ライルズなど経験豊富なチームで挑んだものの0.02秒ブラジルに敵わず2位。
アメリカは初めて男子4x200mを制し、また全ての混合種目 4x400mと初実施の2x2x400mとシャトルハードルリレーでも優勝した。 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60cb10e66515e3631390e336.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="632" />
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<h2>開催国の英雄たち</h2>
日本は過去3大会では2015年の男子4x100mでの3位以外ではトップ3結果が無かったが、開催国日本は2019年大会では大きく結果を残すこととなる。シャトルハードルリレーでは前半はアメリカをリードするする驚きの展開であったが、後半はアメリカの強さに敵わない結果となったが大健闘の2位。2x2x400mでも頭脳戦を塩見綾乃とクレイ・アーロン・竜波の2人でバトンを繋ぎ3位と健闘した。
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<h2>巷で沸いた種目</h2>
ブラジル（男子4x100m）トリニダード・トバゴの（男子4x400m）ポーランド（女子4x400m）の優勝以外ではフランスが女子4x200mを制した。この結果はジャマイカのドリームチームのエレイン・トンプソン、ステファニーアン・マクファーソン、シェリーアン・フレーザープライスそしてシェリカ・ジャクソンのバトンミスがありながらも3位という事もあり実現した。
初実施種目の混合2x2x400mとシャトルハードルリレーはケニアチームが両方エントリーした。男子選手でスタートするなど野心的なオーダーで挑んだが、アメリカのドナバン・ブラジエに交わされ2x2x400mの戦略は失敗となってしまった。&nbsp;
オーストラリアはシャトルハードルリレー3チーム中3チーム目の決勝メンバーであったが、フライングに泣き失格となってしまった。&nbsp; 
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<h2>イノベーション</h2>
過去大会で行われていた4x800mの代わりに実施された2x2x400mが戦略的種目としてチームが考え抜いたオーダーにより行われることでより面白さを増した。シャトルハードルリレーも競技の柔軟さを示す種目となったと言えるだろう。
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<h2>レガシー</h2>
世界リレー2019横浜はバハマ外で行われたことでより多くのチームが出場となり、競技のグローバル化をはかることができた。多くの感動やショックで沸いた横浜大会は間違いなく過去一番の世界リレーとなったと言えるだろう。
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World Athletics Steve Landells World Athletics 大久保マイケル拓磨
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In the latest in our ‘seven wonders’ series, we turn our attention to the most recent global athletics event staged in Japan: the World Athletics Relays Yokohama 2019. 

Japan's seven wonders: World Athletics Relays Yokohama 2019

100 ones to watch in Tokyo: horizontal jumps

<a href="#JPN">Japanese/日本語</a>
In the latest in our &lsquo;seven wonders&rsquo; series, we put the spotlight on the last time Japan hosted the World Athletics Championships &ndash; in Osaka in 2007.
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<h2>Setting the scene</h2>
Osaka, Budapest and Berlin all expressed an interest in hosting the 2017 World Athletics Championships. However, after the latter two withdrew their interest before the deadline, Osaka was announced as the host city in Monaco in November 2002.
The championships took place between 25 August and 2 September in the Nagai Stadium. It attracted 1800 athletes from 197 countries. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60c0aa15ea7400a050d7017f.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="605" /> 
<h2>Broken records</h2>
No world records were posted in Osaka but championship records were set in the men&rsquo;s 200m and women&rsquo;s steeplechase.
The USA matched their record-breaking haul of 26 medals (last achieved at the 1991 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo) in Osaka, claiming 14 gold medals (equalling their record number of golds also achieved at the 2005 and 2019 editions) to top the medal table.
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<h2>Headline acts</h2>
Allyson Felix was the star of the championships, winning three golds. She emphatically retained her world 200m title and then featured on the USA&rsquo;s triumphant 4x100m and 4x400m teams &ndash; producing a blistering 48.0 leg in the latter event. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60c0a83eea7400a050d7016d.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="695" />
 One of the other star performers inside the Nagai Stadium was combined events star Carolina Kluft. The Swede banked a hat-trick of world heptathlon titles and did so by setting a European record of 7032 to climb to number two on the world all-time list behind Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
Bernard Lagat became the first man to complete the 1500m and 5000m double at the World Championships with a hugely impressive display of endurance.
The US middle-distance runner bagged the 1500m title by a margin of 0.23 before returning four days later to take out the 5000m title. Lagat edged to the front with 80 metres remaining to repel the challenge of Eliud Kipchoge and complete the unique double.
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<h2>Home stars</h2>
Following the disappointment of Olympic champion Koji Murofushi finishing sixth in the men&rsquo;s hammer final, it took a brave effort in oppressive heat on the final day by Reiko Tosa in the women&rsquo;s marathon to ensure Japan would mount the medal podium in Osaka.
At 40km, Tosa was two seconds off a lead group of three, but after Zhu Xiaolin of China rapidly dropped off the pace, Tosa, the world silver medallist six years earlier in Edmonton, advanced to claim a bronze medal.
The Japanese quartet also set an Asian record of 38.03 to take fifth &ndash; just 0.13 off the podium &ndash; in the men&rsquo;s 4x100m.
In the men&rsquo;s marathon, Japanese athletes took fifth through to seventh, led by Tsuyoshi Ogata, who finished 17 seconds shy of the podium.
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<h2>Talk of the town</h2>
The men&rsquo;s long jump served up one of the most dramatic competitions of the championships. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60c0a863ea7400a050d70170.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="1414" />
 Long-time leader Irving Saladino was overhauled by Andrew Howe by one centimetre with the Italian&rsquo;s final jump. However, remaining calm and composed in the most high-pressure of scenarios, the Panamanian responded wonderfully with his final jump to soar out to a South American record of 8.57m and claim a dramatic gold.
Little more than 18 months after first taking up the sport, Donald Thomas of The Bahamas struck gold in the men&rsquo;s high jump with a 2.35m clearance.
Meanwhile, Kenenisa Bekele secured a hat-trick of world 10,000m titles with a typically dominant display by the Ethiopian endurance king.
The women&rsquo;s 100m final proved a classic as just 0.04 covered the top five with the gold and silver medallists, respectively, Veronica Campbell-Brown and Lauryn Williams only separated by two-thousandths of a second.
In the women&rsquo;s discus, Franka Dietzsch, at the age of 39, became the second oldest ever world champion, thr German hurling the discus out to a best of 66.61m for gold. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60c0a8b8ea7400a050d70179.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="1441" /> 
<h2>Innovations</h2>
For the first time, state-of-the-art pole vault mats were used which would drain rain, rather than pools of water forming on the surface. Other innovations introduced in Osaka included a &lsquo;Citizen&rsquo;s Supporting Association&rsquo; which was formed to drum up local interest in the championships. Support included cheerleading for marathon runners.
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<h2>Legacy</h2>
Generally played out in hot and humid conditions, the 2007 World Championships will be remembered for a record-breaking number of nations climbing the podium &ndash; 46 &ndash; which still remains a record today.
The war on doping was also stepped up with the number of drug tests for the first time exceeding 1000 (976 in competition and 82 in training camps). These were also the final championships where numbers rather than names appeared on the front of athletes&rsquo; bibs.
 Steve Landells for World Athletics
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<a name="JPN"></a>&nbsp;
<h1>日本陸上界の七不思議：2007年大阪世界選手権</h1>
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<h2>はじめに</h2>
大阪、ブダペストそしてベルリンの3都市が2007年の世界選手権開催候補地として名乗りを上げた。大阪を除く2都市が開催を断念したことにより、2002年11月にモナコで大阪の開催が正式決定した。
選手権は8月25日から9月2日まで長居スタジアムで197の国から1800人の選手がエントリーした。
&nbsp;
<h2>記録の更新</h2>
世界記録更新こそはなかったものの、大会記録が男子200mと女子3000m障害で誕生した。
アメリカが1991年東京大会以来の26メダル獲得と最高メダル獲得タイを記録した。金メダルは14個と2005年2019年に並ぶ数であった。 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60c0a94eea7400a050d7017c.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="695" />
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<h2>注目のパフォーマンス</h2>
アリソン・フェリクスが間違いなく大会のスターで、3個の金メダルを獲得した。200mではタイトルを連覇し、4x100mリレーと4x400mリレー（ラップタイム48.0秒）でアメリカの優勝に大きく貢献した。
スウェーデンのカロリナ・クリュフトはヨーロッパ記録で女子七種競技を制し、ジャッキー・ジョイナー＝カーシーの持つ世界記録に匹敵する世界歴代2位の記録を叩き出した。 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60c0a885ea7400a050d70173.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="1361" />
 アメリカ人マルチランナーのバーナード・ラガトは初の1500mと5000mの二冠を堂々と達成。1500mでの優勝は2位と0.23秒差で制し、4日後に5000mのタイトルを獲得するべく、エリウド・キプチョゲを残り80mで交わして2冠を達成。
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<h2>開催国の英雄</h2>
ハンマー投げオリンピック覇者、室伏広治が残念ながら6位と開催国日本は厳しい闘いになったものの、土佐礼子の粘りで日本にメダルをもたらした。40キロ地点では2秒ほど先頭集団から離れていたものの、中国の朱晓琳が遅れたこともあり、６年前のエドモント大会での銀に続く銅メダルを獲得した。
男子４x100mリレーではアジア記録の38.03で5位、これは表彰台まで惜しくも0.13秒で あった。
尾方剛率いる男子マラソンでは5位6位7位で表彰台まで17秒という結果だった。 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60c0a8a5ea7400a050d70176.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="672" /> 
<h2>巷で沸いた種目</h2>
男子走り幅跳びが大会を通して一番の盛り上がりだった。
長い間この種目第一人者パナマのイルビング・サラディノは最終跳躍直前にイタリアのアンドリュー・ハウに1㎝のリードを許すものの、最後まで冷静だったサラディノは南アメリカ記録8.57mをその後の最終跳躍にマークして優勝した。
18か月前に走り高跳びを始めたばかりのバハマ代表ドナルド・トーマスは2.35mをクリアし金メダルを獲得した。
ケネニサ・ベケレは10,000mを制し、エチオピア勢の長距離種目における強さを証明する結果で金メダル。
女子100mではジャマイカのベロニカ・キャンベル＝ブラウンがアメリカ代表ローリン・ウィリアムズを着差ありで制した。0.04秒内にトップ5人が入る大接戦となった。
女子円盤投げでは39歳のフランカ・ディーチュが66.61mで優勝した。ドイツ人の彼女は世界選手権史上最年長での金メダルという偉業であった。
&nbsp;
<h2>イノベーション</h2>
棒高跳びのマットは初めて雨水が自然に流れる仕組みのあるものを使用し、今までの水たまり状態であったマットを一新した。また、「大阪地域参加型」を通して大会までの盛り上げを地域をあげて行った。これはマラソンにおける沿道での大きな声援に繋がった。 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60c0aa45ea7400a050d70182.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="633" /> 
<h2>レガシー</h2>
高気温かつ湿度が高い中での選手権ではあったが、2007年世界選手権では史上多数の46国が表彰台に上るという素晴らしい結果となった。また、ドーピング問題へも厳しく取り組み1000もの検体を採取した。（大会中に976、事前合宿中に82）選手のゼッケンに番号が使用された最後の世界選手権でもあった。
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World Athletics Steve Landells 訳：World Athletics 大久保マイケル拓磨

In the latest in our ‘seven wonders’ series, we put the spotlight on the last time Japan hosted the World Athletics Championships – in Osaka in 2007.

Japan's seven wonders: World Championships Osaka 2007

<div>
<a href="#JPN">Japanese/日本語</a>
In the countdown to the Tokyo Olympics,&nbsp;we have been putting the spotlight on other major international athletics events to have been staged in Japan.&nbsp;
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The next throwback is&nbsp;the 2006 World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka.&nbsp; 
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<div>
<h2>Setting the scene&nbsp;</h2>
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<div>
The 34th edition of the World Cross Country Championships was held in&nbsp;Umi-no-nakamichi&nbsp;Seaside Park in Fukuoka &ndash; the same course that stages the annual Fukuoka International Cross Country meeting. It was the first time the championships had been staged in Asia. The two-day event was held on&nbsp;1-2&nbsp;April &ndash; the latest date the World Cross Country Championships had ever been held.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
It was also the final time the short course (4km) event would be staged at a World Cross. The event was first introduced at the 1998 edition but from 2007 onwards the championships would revert back to a one-day only event with long course races for senior men and women and U20 men and women.&nbsp; 
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<h2><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60b80876c83091e24b6cf5c3.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="723" /></h2>
<h2>Broken records&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
In a stunning demonstration of his endurance quality,&nbsp;Kenenisa&nbsp;Bekele completed an&nbsp;unprecedented fifth successive World Cross Country long and short course double. The Ethiopian distance running great also managed to&nbsp;match the record of Paul&nbsp;Tergat,&nbsp;who claimed five successive long course victories (1995-99).&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
In the women&rsquo;s long course race, Ethiopia extended their winning streak in the team event to five straight titles. No nation had previously achieved more three straight team golds in the women&rsquo;s blue&nbsp;riband&nbsp;event of the championships.&nbsp; 
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<div>
<h2>Headline&nbsp;acts&nbsp;</h2>
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<div>
Bekele was the undoubted star act, but he was made to work hard for his gold medals. His three-second win from teammate Sileshi Sihine was the narrowest victory margin of his five long course titles to that point in his career. His short course march to gold also survived a scare. Passing the grandstand at the end of two laps, he stumbled and almost fell &ndash; only keeping upright by placing a hand on the back of Kenyan Edwin Soi. Bekele survived and went on to earn a narrow one-second victory from Soi&rsquo;s compatriot Isaac Songok. &nbsp;
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<div>
In the post-event press conference, Bekele said: &ldquo;I am leaning towards not competing at the World Cross anymore. I cannot achieve anything new.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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<div>
Bekele did, however, return for the 2007 World Cross in Mombasa, Kenya &ndash; a race he failed to complete. The following year in Edinburgh, Bekele claimed a record-breaking sixth men&rsquo;s world cross long course title.&nbsp;
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<div>
Tirunesh&nbsp;Dibaba&nbsp;&ndash; the greatest female endurance runner of her generation &ndash; became the seventh woman in history to retain the long course&nbsp;title&nbsp;with a typically assured display.&nbsp;For 7.7km of the 8km race, the Ethiopian superstar was content to trail long-time leader&nbsp;Lornah&nbsp;Kiplagat&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;Netherlands. However, on the final hill&nbsp;Dibaba&nbsp;made her winning strike and passed&nbsp;Kiplagat&nbsp;on the down slope&nbsp;on her way to winning the&nbsp;gold medal.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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<h2><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60b808f0c83091e24b6cf5c9.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="671" /></h2>
<h2>Home stars&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>
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<div>
Japan harvested a pair of bronze medals in the women&rsquo;s long course and U20 races. Their star performer was Kayoko Fukushi, who, roared on by the passionate home fans, produced an inspired run to place sixth individually in the women&rsquo;s 8km long course race to help her country to the medal podium. It was Japan&rsquo;s first senior team medal since winning silver at the 1993 event. Fukushi would go on to enjoy a distinguished marathon career, later winning 2013 world bronze over the 42.2km distance.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
The host nation&rsquo;s U20 women also impressed to take bronze in the team race. Unlike the senior women&rsquo;s race&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;which heralded a rare team medal &ndash; this was Japan&rsquo;s 11th&nbsp;U20&nbsp;women&rsquo;s bronze medal in the previous 13 editions of the World Cross Country Championships.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
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<div>
<h2>Talk of the town&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
In gale force winds,&nbsp;Gelete&nbsp;Burka added the women&rsquo;s 4km short course title to the U20 crown she had&nbsp;earned the preceding year. Two years later,&nbsp;she offered more evidence of her versatility by taking out the women&rsquo;s indoor 1500m title.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
Mang&rsquo;ata&nbsp;Ndiwa&nbsp;held off&nbsp;teammate&nbsp;Leonard&nbsp;Komon&nbsp;to strike individual gold in the&nbsp;U20&nbsp;men&rsquo;s race to ensure Kenya took an 18th team title&nbsp;from&nbsp;the past 19 editions of the race.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
Sileshi&nbsp;Sihine&nbsp;bounced back from stumbling and falling in the men&rsquo;s&nbsp;4km (eventually hauling&nbsp;himself&nbsp;from the ground to place a creditable 12th) to the following day&nbsp;taking&nbsp;individual silver for Ethiopia in the long course race.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
Benita Johnson&nbsp;also doubled up,&nbsp;completing&nbsp;12km of running across the two&nbsp;senior women&rsquo;s&nbsp;race&nbsp;to place fourth and just outside the medals in both the long and short course&nbsp;events.&nbsp;But the Australian, who triumphed at the 2004 World Cross, at least had the consolation of helping her country&nbsp;earn team bronze in the short course race.&nbsp; 
</div>
<div>
<h2><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60b80903c83091e24b6cf5cc.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="612" /></h2>
<h2>Innovations&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
For the first time,&nbsp;athletics fans in North, Central and South America could follow the race by live webcast by the World Championships Sports Network. A one-hour summary programme was also made available every&nbsp;day across all of the Americas.&nbsp; 
</div>
<div>
<h2>Legacy&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
The very first World Cross Country Championships to take place in Asia was a huge moment for the event and subsequently the continent staged the 2009 and 2015 editions in Amman, Jordan and Guiyang, China. The event being staged in Japan was also a big moment of celebration for one of the world&rsquo;s most passionate distance running nations. The Fukuoka event also brought the curtain down on the short course&nbsp;race at the championships.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
Steve Landells for World Athletics
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<hr />
<a name="JPN"></a>&nbsp;
<h1>日本陸上界の七不思議：2006年世界福岡クロスカントリー選手権</h1>
<h2>はじめに</h2>
第34回世界クロスカントリー選手権は福岡の海の丘海浜公園で毎年行われる福岡国際クロスカントリーと同じコースで開催された。4月1日・2日と二日間で大会史上一番遅くまた、アジアで初めての大会となった。
クロカンでは最短距離の4kmが最後に行われたのも今大会でもあった。世界クロカンは1998年に初めて開催され、2007年以降は1日開催に戻され主にロングをシニア・U20の男女種目がしめることとなる。 
<h2>記録の更新</h2>
5度目のショート・ロング種目でタイトルを手にしたのはケネニサ・ベケレであった。&nbsp;エチオピアの英雄はポール・テルガトの持つ大会記録に匹敵するタイ記録をマークした。
女子ロング種目ではエチオピア勢が５連覇するかたちとなった。３連覇以上成し遂げた国はエチオピア以外に存在しない。 
<h2><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60b808cac83091e24b6cf5c6.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="666" /></h2>
<h2>注目のパフォーマンス</h2>
ベケレが文句なしの本大会のスターではあったが、しかし金メダルまでの道のりは容易ではなかった。ロング2位のシレシ・シヒネとの差は3秒と僅差であり、これは彼の５連勝内では一番の僅差であった。ショートも同じようにヒヤッとする場面があり、残り２周地点で転びそうなりケニアのエドウィン・ソイの背中に手をつけ転倒を免れた。危ない場面もあったがしかし、1秒差で優勝を手にした。
試合後の記者会見では『世界クロカンには今後出場しない、得られるものが無くなった』と口にした。
しかしながら彼は2007年のモンバサの世界クロカンに出場したが、途中棄権となった。翌年エジンバラでは大会記録を更新する走りで返り咲いた。
世代トップのティルネシュ・ディババは史上７人目の連覇を達成し歴史に名を刻んだ。7.7キロ地点ではオランダのローナ・キプラガトが先頭に立ち続く形でディババが走っていたが、ディババのラストスパートで明暗が分かれた。 
<h2>開催国の英雄</h2>
日本からは銅メダルが二つロングとU20で誕生した。存在感を示したのは沿道からの応援に後押しをされた福士佳代子だろう。福士は個人8kmでは6位という結果で団体でのメダルに貢献した。1993年に銀メダルを獲得して以降初のシニア団体でのメダルだった。福士はその後マラソンで大きく飛躍し2013年には世界選手権で銅メダルを獲得することとなる。
U20の団体でもホスト国の日本が銅メダル獲得の大活躍という結果であった。久々のメダルとなったシニアの部とは違って、U20の部では13回中11回目のメダルという快挙であった。 
<h2>巷で沸いた種目</h2>
ゲレテ・ブルカはショートで優勝し、1年前のU20での金メダルに追加する形となった。この2年後ブルカは1500m世界室内タイトルを獲ることになる。 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60b8084fc83091e24b6cf5c0.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="645" />
 マンガタ・ンディワはチームメイトのコモノを下しU20男子個人で優勝。これは団体におけるケニアチームの18回目の優勝の決め手となった。
シレシ・シヒネは4kmで転びそうになるアクシデントがあり全体12位ではあったが、翌日はロングで銀メダルをエチオピアにもたらした。
2004年世界クロカンで大活躍だったベニータ・ジョンソンもショートロング共に出場し僅かに両方メダルに届かず4位ではあったが、団体でオーストラリアに銅メダルをもたらした。 
<h2>イノベーション</h2>
初めて北・中央・南アメリカが中継でレースを見ることができた。また、1時間のサマリーも視聴可能であった。 
<h2><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60b80915c83091e24b6cf5cf.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="873" /></h2>
<h2>レガシー</h2>
アジアで初の開催であった福岡を皮切りに2009年にはヨルダン・アンマン、2015年には貴陽市・中国でも開催された。また、素晴らしい長距離ランナーを数多く輩出する日本で開催されたことで、盛大に催された。また、福岡を最後にクロカンのショート部門が幕を閉じた。
World Athletics Steve Landells World Athletics 大久保マイケル拓磨
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In the countdown to the Tokyo Olympics, we have been putting the spotlight on other major international athletics events to have been staged in Japan. The next throwback is the 2006 World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka. 

Japan's seven wonders: World Cross Country Championships Fukuoka 2006

100 ones to watch in Tokyo: vertical jumps

<a href="#JPN">Japanese/日本語</a>
In the latest in our Tokyo countdown series we focus on another memorable global athletics event staged in Japan as we fix our gaze on the 1999 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Maebashi. 
<h2>Setting the scene</h2>
The seventh edition of the World Athletics Indoor Championships was staged in the Green Dome &ndash; an 8000 capacity indoor arena primarily used as a velodrome &ndash; in Maebashi, Japan. The three-day event ran from 5-7 March 1999. It was the first occasion the championships had been staged outside of Europe or North America. Nearly 500 athletes from 124 participating nations featured at the event. 
<h2>Broken records</h2>
Both the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s world 4x400m records were lowered inside the Green Dome. In the men&rsquo;s event, the USA, inspired by a scintillating anchor leg run by Milton Campbell, trimmed 0.22 from their eight-year-old world record to stop the clock at 3:02.83, finishing ahead of silver medallists Poland, who posted a European record time of 3:03:01 for the second fastest time in history. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60af6468e209a14b9621243c.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="736" />
 Russia dismantled their women&rsquo;s 4x400m record by more than two-and-a-half seconds, recording a jaw-dropping 3:24.25. The triumphant team did so with three quarters of the same line up that had set the previous mark two years earlier at the World Indoor Championships in Paris.
In a further measure of the quality of the event, championship record marks were set in 11 events. 
<h2>Headline acts</h2>
Haile Gebrselassie and Gabriela Szabo lit up the endurance events by both completing the previously unprecedented 1500m and 3000m double. The achievement was particularly noteworthy because it required both athletes to race three times across the three-day programme (heats and finals of 1500m and straight final for the 3000m).
For the Ethiopian Gebrselassie, it represented a further demonstration of his incredible versatility. The world and Olympic 10,000m champion at that time stepped down to 1500m to win the title in a championship record of 3:33.77 &ndash; the shortest distance over which he earned a global title in his long and storied career. In a mirror image, the Romanian Szabo achieved her double with a 1500m championship record of 4:03.23. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60af74f9d777935325e48076.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="667" />
<h2>Home stars</h2>
For the second time in World Indoor Championships history, a home athlete failed to win a medal (the other in 1989 when Hungary failed to find the podium at the Budapest edition).
Japan&rsquo;s leading performer was Koji Ito who placed fifth in the 200m final in 20.95, having set Asian indoor records in the heats (20.73) and semi-finals (20.63). Masaki Morinaga also produced a respectable display, setting a Japanese record of 8.07m to place seventh in the men&rsquo;s long jump. 
<h2>Talk of the town</h2>
Cuban jump stars Javier Sotomayor and Ivan Pedroso once again impressed, snagging a fourth world indoor title in their respective events. In the latter event, Pedroso defeated Yago Lamela of Spain by just six centimetres in a captivating long jump showdown, soaring out to 8.62m &ndash; the second longest ever distance indoors at that time. Sotomayor banked his fourth world indoor high jump title on countback from Russia&rsquo;s Vyacheslav Voronin after both cleared 2.36m.
The championships witnessed a series of other outstanding memories. Maurice Greene came within 0.03 of his world indoor record to blitz to the 60m title. Meanwhile, in the 200m Frank Fredericks unleashed the second fastest indoor time ever of 20.10 en route to gold. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60af6424e209a14b96212436.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="773" />
 In the women&rsquo;s 800m&nbsp;Ludmila Formanova&nbsp;of the Czech Republic blasted to a time of 1:56.90 &ndash; the second fastest all-time women&rsquo;s indoor 800m mark &ndash; to break Maria Mutola&rsquo;s unbeaten streak of 36 successive indoor victories.
The men&rsquo;s 800m also served up a surprise as world champion Wilson Kipketer of Denmark misjudged his final sprint and had to settle for silver behind South Africa&rsquo;s shock winner Johan Botha.
Great Britain&rsquo;s Ashia Hansen produced the third longest jump in history to strike women&rsquo;s triple jump gold with a leap of 15.02m. 
<h2>Innovations</h2>
Event organisers introduced a handful of finals during the morning session for the first time in the history of the event.
The super-fast Mondo track on display in Maebashi also ensured a series of scintillating times were posted across the three-day championships.
For the first time, World Athletics put together a daily news programme which reached about 1000 TV broadcasters from around the world and included highlights of the main competition, interviews with the day&rsquo;s stars and special profiles on athletes from various countries. 
<h2>Legacy</h2>
Hailed as the greatest World Indoor Championships in history by then World Athletics President Primo Nebiolo, many will look back fondly on an epic championships jam-packed full of star performances from a raft of stellar names in the sport.
Performances right across the board were of the highest standard and the skills of the organisers were also lauded. Five nations (USA, Russia, Germany, Great Britain and Romania) won three gold medals each and 30 nations in total earned at least one podium spot including Kazakhstan, Mozambique and Iceland. A truly memorable World Indoor Championships.
Steve Landells for World Athletics
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<hr />
<a name="JPN"></a>&nbsp;
<h1>日本陸上界の七不思議：1999年世界室内選手権</h1>
&nbsp;
<h2>はじめに</h2>
7回目の開催となった世界室内選手権は群馬県前橋市の8000人収容人数を誇る室内アリーナ、グリンドーム前橋で開催された。ヨーロッパ・北アメリカ以外では初の開催となった今大会は124の国と地域から約500人の選手を迎えて1999年3月5日から7日の3日間で開催された。 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60af751ad777935325e48079.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="638" />
<h2>記録の更新</h2>
男女4x400mリレーがそれぞれ記録を短縮し、アメリカが自ら持つ8年来の男子世界記録を0.22秒短縮し、3:02.83。3:03・01で銀メダルに輝いたポーランドはヨーロッパ記録かつ世界歴代2位に輝いた。
女子4x400mリレーはロシアが世界記録を2秒半更新する3:24.25で圧勝。前回大会のパリでも記録を更新したメンバーが3人残るという偉業だった。
11の大会記録も新たに誕生した。 
<h2>注目のパフォーマンス</h2>
ハイレ・ゲブレシラシエとガブリエラ・サボーはそれぞれ前例のない1500mと3000m二冠に輝いた。この偉業が特に注目されたのは3日間という日程に3回レースに出場したことが挙げられた。
エチオピアのゲブレシラシエにとっては彼自身の多種目における柔軟さをさらに証明する結果となった。10,000mのオリンピック覇者が1500mに距離を縮めタイトルを3:33.77の大会記録勝ち取ることは異例であった。1500mは彼の長いキャリアの中では一番短い種目でのメダルであった。同様に女子1500mはサボーが4:03.23で大会記録を更新した。 
<h2>開催国の英雄</h2>
残念ながら世界室内選手権史上2度目の開催国メダル無しという結果となった。（1989年のブダベストではハンガリーが同様にメダル無しであった）
日本選手からの健闘としては、伊東浩司が200mで5位の20.95であり、準決勝ではアジア室内記録を更新する20.73をマークした。森長正樹も日本記録の8.07mを走幅跳びで記録して7位という結果だった。 
<h2>巷で沸いた種目</h2>
キューバのスタージャンパー、ハビエル・ソトマヨルとイバン・ペドロソはそれぞれの種目でまたしても大活躍し4つの世界室内タイトルを勝ち取った。ペドロソは走幅跳びでスペインのヤゴ・ラメラを6センチの僅差で下し、8.62mで当時の室内世界歴代2位の記録を叩き出した。ソトマヨルはロシアのヴィアチェスラフ・ヴォロニンを下す2.36mで下した。 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60af644ae209a14b96212439.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="957" />
 モーリス・グリーンは世界記録に0.03と迫る記録で60mを制し、フランク・フレドリックスは200mで室内世界歴代2位の20.10で会場を沸かせた。
女子800mではチェコのリュドミラ・フォルアノワは1:56.90の世界歴代2位を記録し、7室内負けなし記録36戦のマリア・ムトラを下した。
男子800mではデンマークのウィルソン・キプケターが周回を勘違いし、南アフリカのヨハン・ボタが驚きの金メダリストとなった。
イギリスのアシア・ハンセン女子三段跳びで世界歴代3位の15.02mを記録し優勝した。 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60af6483e209a14b9621243f.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="636" />
<h2>イノベーション</h2>
主催者が決勝種目の多くを午前中に予定した、これは初の試みであった。また、モンド―社のスーパートラックが使用され、3日間で多くの大記録が誕生。世界陸連は初めて一日のハイライトなどを含めた情報番組を作成し1000を超えるTV局で放映された。 
<h2>レガシー</h2>
当時世界陸連のプリモ・ネビオロ会長から世界室内選手権史上一番の大会とされ、様々な種目で好記録が誕生した。
好記録のみならず、主幹団体の素晴らしさも目立つ大会であり、5つの国（アメリカ、ロシア、ドイツ、イギリス、ルーマニア）が3つの金メダルを手に、カザフスタン、モザンビーク、アイスランドを含めた30の国が最低でも1つのメダルを獲得した。非常に思い出に残る大会となった。
World Athletics Steve Landells World Athletics 大久保マイケル拓磨

In the latest in our Tokyo countdown series we focus on another memorable global athletics event staged in Japan as we fix our gaze on the 1999 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Maebashi.

Japan's seven wonders: World Indoor Championships Maebashi 1999

The last &ndash; and only &ndash; time Kevin Mayer, Ashton Eaton and Roman Sebrle met in person was at the London 2012 Olympics.
The three decathlon stars &ndash; all world record-holders in their time and the only members of the 9000-point club &ndash; came together virtually for a special edition of the World Athletics podcast to discuss all things combined events.
Mayer, who was just 20 years old at the time of the London 2012 Games, recalled that first Olympic experience.
&ldquo;It was huge,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I went there as the only French decathlete, I didn&rsquo;t speak good English, I was lost. I didn&rsquo;t say a word to Ashton or Roman &ndash; they were my idols, so I just stayed in the shadows watching them wide-eyed. I was more of a spectator than a performer.
&ldquo;The competition didn&rsquo;t go particularly well for me, and I recorded two fouls in the long jump. But it was the start of something I was able to build on. Competitions can&rsquo;t get more stressful than the Olympics, so other competitions in the years that followed felt easy in comparison.&rdquo; 
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dn8da1gWOeQ" width="630" height="353" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<div style="padding: 15px 20px 5px 20px; border: 2px solid #adf376;">
Download the full podcast for free via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/iaaf-inside-athletics-podcast/id1340268954?mt=2&amp;ls=1&amp;ign-mpt=uo%3D4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">iTunes</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7vIXY6UZTkopeqoMsV4aQN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>.
All past episodes, including links to the podcast on a range of streaming platforms, can be found on <a href="https://audioboom.com/channels/4942781" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Audioboom</a>.
</div>
 Eaton won on that occasion, while Sebrle withdrew after the first event, having aggravated an injury. It was to be the Czech legend&rsquo;s final competitive appearance.
Some 11 years prior, Sebrle had become the first man to break 9000 points with his world record score of 9026 in G&ouml;tzis.
&ldquo;I expected a few of the events to go better, like the shot put, the hurdles, the pole vault,&rdquo; remembers Sebrle. &ldquo;After that competition I thought that I&rsquo;d go on to score 9000 points in all of my other competitions, but it didn&rsquo;t work out that way.&rdquo;
Eaton, in both of his world record performances &ndash; 9039 at the 2012 US Olympic Trials and 9045 at the 2015 World Championships &ndash; also felt he had more in the tank.
&ldquo;I never experienced perfection in a decathlon,&rdquo; said the 33-year-old, who retired after winning his second Olympic gold in 2016. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s a personality thing &ndash; you always want more and you always believe that you have more. Any small mess-up, you think &lsquo;dang it, I left something there&rsquo;. That was always the motivation, even when the scores were good.&rdquo;
When it comes to all-round excellence, though, Eaton spoke highly of Mayer, the current world record-holder with his 9126 tally from 2018.
&ldquo;I want to set the record straight,&rdquo; said Eaton. &ldquo;I think Kevin is the greatest athlete we have on earth right now. In the United States we always hear stuff about LeBron James or comparisons to other sports, and people often tag me into conversations on social media. I&rsquo;m just like, &lsquo;man, you guys have no clue&rsquo;. When you see what this guy did for running, jumping and throwing over these events, it&rsquo;s unbelievable. I don&rsquo;t think anybody understands.&rdquo;
Mayer was flattered by the compliment. &ldquo;Wow, when Ashton Eaton compares you to LeBron James, it feels really great,&rdquo; said the 2017 world champion.
&ldquo;I think we all got into this sport because we enjoyed the 10 events and we liked the sensation when we progress. You always want to improve and to become greater and greater.&rdquo;
When asked where the world record could be 10 years from now, Sebrle &ndash; who was still the world record-holder up until nine years ago &ndash; says he is keeping an open mind.
&ldquo;The best thing is, you never know,&rdquo; said the four-time global champion. &ldquo;I think Kevin will compete very well and could improve a bit more on the record. But there could well be another guy who comes along and has the same feel for the event, the same motivation, the same drive for a world record, and will succeed like we did. You never know.&rdquo;
World Athletics

Roman Sebrle, Ashton Eaton and Kevin Mayer came together virtually for a special edition of the World Athletics podcast to discuss all things combined events.

World Athletics Podcast – decathlon special

100 ones to watch in Tokyo: hurdles and steeplechase

<a href="#JPN">Japanese/日本語</a>
We continue the countdown to the Tokyo Olympics by revisiting some of the past major athletics events held in Japan.
Next up is the iconic 1991 World Championships held in Tokyo. 
<h2>Setting the scene</h2>
The third edition of the then quadrennial World Athletics Championships was awarded to Tokyo ahead of Berlin, Los Angeles and Perth by the World Athletics Council at their Rome meeting in March 1987. It was the first time the event had been staged outside of Europe. Held in the same stadium that hosted the 1964 Olympic Games, the event was staged from 23 August to 1 September. Officially opened by Emperor Akihito, the championships featured a little under 1500 competitors from 162 countries. Men competed in 24 events with women fighting for medals in 19 events. 
<h2>Broken records</h2>
Three world records were broken in the course of the championships but perhaps it was the stunning long jump duel between Mike Powell and Carl Lewis which will linger longest in the memory. 
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CFj6RzlWNtM" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
 Lewis, unbeaten in the long jump for 10 years, launched out to a huge wind-aided 8.83m in round three before bettering this mark with 8.91m in the next round &ndash; one centimetre further than the 23-year-old world record mark of Bob Beamon, although marginally over the allowable wind limit for record purposes.
Yet in round five the long-legged Powell responded brilliantly to soar out to a world record effort of 8.95m &ndash; a mark which still stands today, some 30 years on. Lewis hit back with 8.87m and 8.84m in the final two rounds &ndash; the longest two legal marks of his life &ndash; but had to settle for silver.
Lewis had earlier in the championship scalped 0.04 from the world 100m record as he struck gold in 9.86 as the top six men dipped below 10 seconds. Lewis also featured in the triumphant US men&rsquo;s 4x100m quartet that wiped 0.17 from the world record, clocking 37.50. 
<h2>Headline acts</h2>
Besides the aforementioned Mike Powell and Carl Lewis, their compatriot Michael Johnson announced himself as an athletics superstar by taking his maiden global title, clocking a championship record of 20.01 to strike gold in the men&rsquo;s 200m. 
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WT9dhQVvgJc" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
 France&rsquo;s Marie-Jose Perec was a popular winner of the women&rsquo;s 400m title. Hassiba Boulmerka of Algeria was a surprise victor in the women&rsquo;s 1500m, while in the women&rsquo;s high jump Heike Henkel of Germany soared clear at 2.05m to take gold.
Greg Foster of the US secured a third successive world 110m hurdles crown and Dan O&rsquo;Brien impressed to take the decathlon in a championship record score of 8812. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60a52baf4e39df975bf66874.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="585" />
&nbsp;
<h2>Home stars</h2>
It was perhaps little surprise given Japan&rsquo;s rich marathon heritage that the country harvested its greatest successes in the 42.2km event. On the final day of the championships and competing in temperatures of 26C with 73% humidity, Hiromi Taniguchi struck gold in the men&rsquo;s marathon. The 31-year-old former London Marathon winner made several attempts to break the field before finally making his winning move at 38km.
Earlier in the championships, Sachiko Yamashita won Japan&rsquo;s first World Championships medal with silver in the women&rsquo;s marathon. Yamashita tried to break the resistance of Wanda Panfil at 40km, but the Pole would not be denied and kicked clear in the final 1200m to claim gold by a four-second margin in 2:29:53. 
<h2>Talk of the town</h2>
Kenya demonstrated its increasingly strong grip on the global endurance running scene by taking four gold medals in the men&rsquo;s events. Among them, Billy Konchellah retained his world 800m title in eye-catching style.
China also made an impact by striking gold in the women&rsquo;s shot and javelin.
The British men&rsquo;s 4x400m quartet provided a rousing finale to the championships, causing a major upset to defeat the formidable USA team by 0.04. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60a52d1c4677214953746315.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="631" />
<h2>Innovations</h2>
One of the most significant innovations of the 1991 World Championships was the newly developed chipless uerthane track, which proved hugely popular with sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers &ndash; and undoubtedly contributed to the three world records witnessed at the championships.
For the first time, sprinters&rsquo; reaction times were revealed to the media. Meanwhile, photo finish images were displayed on a giant jumbotron screen with times (and records) confirmed within seconds. 
<h2>Legacy</h2>
Regarded as one the finest editions of the World Athletics Championships, the Tokyo event was the last of the quadrennial World Championships before it was converted to a biennial competition from 1993 onwards. The event was the first World Athletics Championships to witness a unified German team and it was also the last in which the USSR made an appearance. Africa enjoyed a successful championships, winning 17 medals, seven of them gold, including Samuel Matete of Zambia winning men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles gold.
The total attendance of 581,462 surpassed that of the each of previous two World Championships in Helsinki and Rome.
Steve Landells for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<h3><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz-gfY4so9kYxtbR4mfZ34ppg00KguQ18" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: World Championships Tokyo 1991 playlist on YouTube</a></h3>
&nbsp;
<hr />
<a name="JPN"></a>&nbsp;
<h1>日本の七不思議：1991年世界選手権</h1>
<h2> はじめに</h2>
1987年3月に国際陸連の理事会にて3度目の世界選手権は東京に決定した。開催候補地は東京以外にベルリン、ロサンゼルスそしてパースであり、ヨーロッパ外での開催は初となった。天皇陛下により開会宣言がなされた東京大会は8月23日から9月1日まで、162の国と地域総勢約1500人が出場した。1964年東京オリンピックと同じ国立競技場で男子24種目、女子19種目の競技が行われた。 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60a52db94677214953746318.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="641" />
<h2>記録の更新</h2>
大会期間中には3つの世界記録が誕生したが、一番の盛り上がりはマイク・パウエルとカール・ルイスの白熱した男子走幅跳びだろう。&nbsp;
10年間負けなしのルイスは追い風参考の8.83mを三回目の試技で記録し、続く四回目では8.91mと記録を伸ばし、23年間破られていなかったボブ・ビーモンの世界記録を1㎝更新と期待されたがわずかに無効試技となった。&nbsp;
一方、5回目の試技で脚長のパウエルがこの先30年と破られていない8.95mと世界記録で対抗した。ルイスは8.87mと8.84mと自己記録を叩き出すも銀メダルに終わった。&nbsp;
ルイスは100mで世界記録を0.04秒更新し9.86で当時史上6人目の9秒台ランナーとなり優勝。4x100mリレーでも世界記録を0.17更新して優勝へと導いた。 
<h2>注目のパフォーマンス</h2>
パウエルとルイスの激動以外で存在感を示したのは二人のライバル、マイケル・ジョンソンだろう。大会記録の20.01を200mで叩き出し、一躍スターとなった。&nbsp; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60a52e44467721495374631b.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="582" />
 フランスのマリー＝ジョゼ・ペレクは大人気の女子400mのチャンピオンに、またアルジェリアのハシバ・ブールメルカは驚きの女子1500mチャンピオンに、またドイツのハイケ・ヘンケルは2.05mで女子走高跳び優勝で会場を沸かせた。&nbsp; 
<h2>開催国の英雄</h2>
マラソン競技で逸材を数多く輩出していた日本にとってこの種目での活躍は驚きではなかった。気温26度湿度73パーセントのコンディションの中、谷口浩美が男子マラソン優勝。当時31歳の元ロンドンマラソンの覇者谷口は、38キロで仕掛けて1位でゴールした。
大会序盤では山下佐知子が日本女子初の世界選手権メダルの銀を女子マラソンで堂々と獲得した。山下はポーランドのワンダ・パンフィルを40㎞地点で引き離すよう模索したが引かず、パンフィルが最終的に残り1200m地点でスパートを仕掛け山下とは4秒差の2:29.53で優勝した。 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/dbe8174c-fa6e-48e0-b2f0-c3770a80acac.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="633" />
<h2>巷で沸いた種目</h2>
ケニアが中長距離種目で大きな存在感を示し、男子種目で4つの金メダルを獲得した。その中には男子800mを連覇したビリー・コンチェラーもいた。
中国も活躍を見せ、女子の砲丸投げとやり投げで金メダルを獲得した。
イギリスの男子4x400mリレーでは、強豪のアメリカと0.04秒差で制し優勝。 
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9a1r9NC_Po0" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&nbsp;
<h2>イノベーション</h2>
1991年世界選手権での一番のイノベーションはチップレスタータン式競技場だろう。これはスプリンターやハードラーそして跳躍選手からは大いに歓迎された。間違いなく大会で誕生した3つの世界記録の更新に大きく貢献した。
また、初めてスタートのリアクションタイムがメディアに公表された。また、フィニッシュの映像も記録と共に大型ビジョンに映し出され、記録の確定が秒単位で行われるようになったのもこの大会からである。 
<h2>レガシー</h2>
世界選手権史上最も成功した大会の一つとして歴史に名を刻んだ東京大会を最後に4年ごとの開催であった世界選手権は2年ごとに開催することになった。ドイツチームが一つのチームとして初めて出場した大会であると同時に、ソビエト連邦の姿を見る最後の大会となった。アフリカ勢にとっても成功した大会であり、400mハードルの覇者ザンビアのサミュエル・マテテを含む17のメダルを手にした。
581,462人の観客動員数は前回と前々回大会のヘルシンキとローマを超える数だった。
World Athletics Steve Landells 訳：World Athletics 大久保マイケル拓磨
&nbsp;

We continue the countdown to the Tokyo Olympics by revisiting some of the past major athletics events held in The Land of the Rising Sun.

Japan's seven wonders: World Championships Tokyo 1991

<a href="#JPN">Japanese/日本語</a>
In the countdown to the Tokyo Olympics, we take a closer look at the major global athletics events that have been staged in The Land of the Rising Sun.
We kick-start our series by focusing on the last time Tokyo staged the Olympic Games in 1964. 
<h2>Setting the scene</h2>
Tokyo was chosen as the host city for the 1964 summer Olympic Games during the 55th IOC session in West Germany in May 1959. Tokyo defeated bids from Detroit, Brussels and Vienna. The athletics programme &ndash; which took place from October 14-21 &ndash; hosted 36 events with 24 for men and 12 for women. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/609bb0ecf42e888cac45c910.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="868" />
<h2>Broken records</h2>
In a Games full of so many outstanding memories, eight world records were either broken or equalled. In the men&rsquo;s events Bob Hayes thundered down the track to equal the men&rsquo;s 100m record of 10.0 and later featured in the world record-breaking US men&rsquo;s 4x100m quartet (39.0). The US also took out the men&rsquo;s 4x400m world record (3:00.7). In the marathon, Abebe Bikila slashed more than a minute-and-a-half from the world record as he recorded a stunning time of 2:12.11.2 to retain his title.
British duo Anne Packer in the women&rsquo;s 800m (2:01.1) and Mary Rand in the long jump (6.76m) also broke world records en route to gold. Poland secured the women&rsquo;s 4x100m mark with a time of 43.6, while Irina Press of the Soviet Union claimed the pentathlon world record with 5246. 
<h2>Headline acts</h2>
The middle-distance star of the Games was Peter Snell, who emphatically retained his Olympic 800m title in an Olympic record time of 1:45.1 before taking the 1500m crown. In so doing, the New Zealander became the first man since Great Britain&rsquo;s Albert Hill in 1920 to complete the Olympic 800m/1500m double. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/609bb170f42e888cac45c913.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="1088" />
 The star of the men&rsquo;s sprints was Bob Hayes who won 100m gold and anchored the US men&rsquo;s 4x100m to victory. The aforementioned Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia created history as the first man to successfully defend an Olympic marathon title.
On the women&rsquo;s side, Romanian high jump great Iolanda Balas retained her high jump title and did so by a massive 10-centimetre margin from the silver medallist. Australia&rsquo;s Betty Cuthbert won the inaugural women&rsquo;s Olympic 400m title to add to the 100m, 200m and 4x100m golds she won at the 1956 Melbourne Games. 
<h2>Home stars</h2>
Kokichi Tsuburaya became a national hero as he earned Japan&rsquo;s first track and field medal for 28 years with bronze in the marathon. On the final day of the track and field programme, and running in only his fourth career marathon, he entered the stadium second behind gold medallist Abeba Bikila. Badly fatigued, Tsubaraya was passed on the final curve by Great Britain&rsquo;s Basil Heatley, but the Japanese runner, who earlier in the Games had finished sixth in the 10,000m final, managed to hold on to third place, ending Japan&rsquo;s Olympic track and field medal drought.
Unfortunately, injury cut short his career and in January 1968 he prematurely ended his own life. He was aged 27. 
<h2>Talk of the town</h2>
One of the most exhilarating races in the Games came in the men&rsquo;s 10,000m as relative unknown Billy Mills of the USA stunned the world to strike gold. Competing against the highly-fancied world record-holder Ron Clarke of Australia and defending champion Pyotr Bolotnikov, Mills produced an electrifying late burst of speed to outsprint the opposition and take gold in an Olympic record of 28:24.4 &ndash; a time 46 seconds quicker than his previous best. 
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Carousel2/8a0dea43-f39e-4979-8096-d022aeddd586.png?cachebuster=6b99b93f-46c9-4027-ba53-bcde910b432f" alt="" width="900" height="540" />
 The Press sisters &ndash; Tamara and Irina &ndash; captured three gold medals between them as the Soviet siblings provide one of the chief storylines of the women&rsquo;s track and field programme. Tamara completed the shot and discus double while Irina claimed victory in the inaugural women&rsquo;s pentathlon. 
<h2>Innovations</h2>
The 1964 Games were the first to be telecast internationally without the necessity for tapes to be flown overseas. It was also the first Games to have colour telecasts of some events.
Computers were used for the first time to record statistics, enabling athletes&rsquo; performances to be shown on TV screens. Seiko made its debut as the official timekeeper of the Olympics. Linking the starting gun with a quartz clock and photo-finish camera, this made it possible to record times down to one thousandths of a second for the first time. 
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Carousel2/effe838b-7579-46ac-82bd-97859d419375.jpg?cachebuster=49c35a16-657e-4029-88a8-f203fd24fee7" alt="" width="950" height="570" />
<h2>Legacy</h2>
The last Games to use a cinder track, the 1964 Tokyo Olympics will be remembered for many magical moments. It also marked a small step in the right direction towards equality between the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s events as the Tokyo Games introduced a women&rsquo;s 400m and pentathlon for the first time.
Bikila&rsquo;s retention of his marathon title further cemented East Africa&rsquo;s growing influence over global endurance running. While the Games also witnessed the rising strength of East European athletes &ndash; particularly on the women&rsquo;s side &ndash; which would remain in place for more than quarter of a century.
The building of the National Stadium for the Games helped attract a slew of top-drawer international events to the venue, including &ndash; some 27 years later &ndash; the hosting of the 1991 World Athletics Championships.
Steve Landells for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<hr />
<a name="JPN"></a>&nbsp;
<h1>日本の七不思議：1964年東京オリンピック</h1>
 東京オリンピックまで残りわずか、日出ずる国日本が過去に開催した陸上競技の世界大会を振り返る。
今回は1964年の夏季オリンピック大会を振り返る。
&nbsp;
<h2>はじめに</h2>
1964年大会開催地として東京が正式に決定したのは、1959年5月の東ドイツで開かれた第55回IOC総会だった。東京はデトロイトやブリュッセルそしてウィーンを破る結果となった。陸上競技の日程は10月14日から21日で男子24種目、女子12種目の計36種目が実施と決定された。 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/609bb0d0f42e888cac45c90d.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="633" />
&nbsp;
<h2>記録の更新</h2>
大会では様々な素晴らしい瞬間が生まれ、8つの世界記録または世界タイが誕生した。男子種目ではアメリカのボブ・ヘイズが100mで10.00の世界タイ、その後に男子4x100mリレーの世界記録39.00に貢献した。アメリカは男子4x400mリレーでも3:00.7の世界記録を更新した。アベベ・ビキラはマラソン世界記録を1分半更新し2:12.11で連覇した。 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/609baf3d077c23f4c95498e1.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="689" />
 イギリス勢の二人アン・パッカーとマリー・ランドはそれぞれ女子800m（2:01.1）、女子走り幅跳び（6.76m）と世界記録で金メダルを獲得した。ポーランドは女子4x100mリレーで43.6の金メダル、またソビエト連邦のイリーナ・プレスは五種競技で世界記録の5246点を記録した。 
<h2>注目のパフォーマンス</h2>
男子中距離種目のスターは間違いなくニュージーランドのピーター・スネルであった。800mはオリンピックレコードの1:45.1で連覇し、1500mでも金メダルを手にした。この800m1500m二冠の偉業は1920年のイギリス代表アルバート・ヒル以来であった。
男子短距離の星ボブ・ヘイズは、100mの金メダリストとして4x100mリレーアメリカチームのアンカーとして堂々の2冠を達成。エチオピアのアベベは初のマラソン種目連覇として歴史に名を刻んだ。 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/609baf1c077c23f4c95498de.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="583" />
 女子種目ではルーマニアのヨランダ・バラシュは高跳びを銀メダリストから10センチ差で勝利するなど堂々の連覇という形で終わり。オーストラリアのベティ・カスバートは実施初の女子400mで優勝し、1956年のメルボルン大会での100m200mそして4x100mリレー
での金メダルに一つ加えることになった。 
<h2>開催国の英雄</h2>
円谷幸吉は日本人にとって、28年ぶりの陸上競技におけるメダルを最終日のマラソン種目で獲得し開催国日本の英雄となった。これは彼にとって4回目のマラソンであり、国立競技場に優勝したアベベの後ろ2番目で帰ってきた。最終カーブでイギリスのベイジル・ヒートリーに先頭を許し3位でゴールした。円谷は今大会10000mで6位に入賞していたが、マラソンでの銅メダルにより日本は28年間のメダル無しの状況を打破した
怪我で競技を続けられなくなり、1968年1月に若すぎる27歳で帰らぬ人となった。 
<h2>巷で沸いた種目</h2>
東京大会で一番沸いた種目は男子10000mでほぼノーマークで優勝したアメリカのビリー・ミルズだった。世界記録保持者のロン・クラークや連覇を狙ったピョートル・ボロトニコフなど強豪がひしめき合うなか、圧倒的スピードでそれぞれを下し、自己記録から46秒速い28:24.4のオリンピックレコードで金メダルを獲得した。
ソビエト連邦のプレス姉妹タマラとイリーナは3つの金メダルを獲得した。タマラは砲丸投げと円盤投げ、イリーナは初実施の五種競技で優勝した。 
<h2>イノベーション</h2>
1964年大会はオリンピック初の衛星放送かつ、カラー映像による中継が開始された大会であった。
また、初めてパソコンを使用し分析データを用いてテレビで解説が行われた。SEIKOも公式機材としての使用が始まった大会でもあり、ピストルから写真判定まで全てをリンクすることで1000秒までの記録を測ることが可能になった。 
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Carousel2/9be5b873-f5a8-499e-b3b0-3e160d31e1af.jpg?cachebuster=49015e42-2c89-4387-899b-e841fd939a80" alt="" width="900" height="540" />
<h2>レガシー</h2>
1964年東京オリンピックはアンツーカーのトラックを使用した最後の大会として歴史に名を刻んだ。女子400mと女子五種競技が追加され、陸上競技における男女平等への小さな一歩を踏み出した記念すべき大会でもあった。
ブブカのマラソン連覇は東アフリカの長距離種目における影響力を確かにしたものであった。そして東ヨーロッパの特に女子選手達の力も確実に証明された大会であり、その強き状 況は一世紀ほど続くこととなった。
国立競技場の建設により、国際大会を誘致することが容易になった日本は、27年後に1991年に東京で陸上競技世界選手権を開催することになった。
World Athletics Steve Landells 訳：World Athletics 大久保マイケル拓

In the countdown to the Tokyo Olympics, we look back at the major global athletics events that have been staged in The Land of the Rising Sun.

Japan’s seven wonders: Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games

100 ones to watch in Tokyo: long distance

As the countdown to the Tokyo Olympics continues, so too does our series highlighting 100 ones to watch in the lead-up to the Games.