My personal list of best marks witnessed in person (part 1)...
I was once asked about some of the greatest meets, races, and performances I've seen over my years of covering track and field, either in the television production truck, in the press tribune as a writer, behind the camera as a photographer, or even on the microphone as an in stadium announcer.
Below is the list of the best marks I've witnessed in person in the current world championship and Olympic medal events.
The majority of these marks have come at the World Athletics world championship meets that I've attended (Tokyo, Stuttgart, Athens, Seville, Edmonton, Paris-St Denis, Helsinki, Osaka, Berlin, Daegu, Moscow, Beijing, London & Doha), with only Helsinki (1983), Rome (1987) and Gothenburg (1995) the only ones I've missed
If a mark is in bold-print, that means that it's the current world record in that event. If it's in italics, it signifies that it was a world record at the time.
I'll publish my greatest women's marks next--enjoy!
100m--Usain Bolt, 9.58, World Championships, Berlin 8/16/09
200m--Usain Bolt, 19.19, World Championships, Berlin, 8/20/09
400m--Michael Johnson, 43.18, World Championships, Seville, 8/26/99
800m--Donavan Brazier, 1:42.34, World Championships, Doha, 10/1/19
1500m--Hicham El Guerrouj, 3:27.65, World Championships, Seville, 8/24/99
Mile--Daniel Komen, 3:48.28, Nike Pre Classic, Eugene, 6/10/07
5000m--Eliud Kipchoge, 12:52.79, World Championships, 8/31/03
10000m--Kenenisa Bekele, 26:25.97, Nike Pre Classic, Eugene, 6/8/08
Marathon--Dennis Kimetto, 2:02:57, Berlin Marathon, 9/28/14
Steeple--Ezekiel Kemboi, 8:00.43, World Championships, Berlin, 8/18/09
110 Hurdles--David Oliver, 12.90, Nike Pre Classic, Eugene, 7/3/10
400 Hurdles--Rai Benjamin, 47.02, NCAA Championships, Eugene, 6/8/18
4 x 100 Relay--USA (Coleman, Gatlin, Rodgers, Lyles), 37.10, World Championships, Doha 10/5/19
4 x 400 Relay--USA (Valmon, Watts, Reynolds, Johnson) 2:54.29. World Championships, Stuttgart, 8/22/93
High Jump--Bohdan Bondarenko, 7-10.75 (2.41m), World Championships, Moscow, 8/15/13
Pole Vault--Sam Kendricks, 19-10.5 (6.06m), USATF Championships, Des Moines, 7/27/19
Long Jump--Mike Powell, 29-4.5 (8.95m), World Championships, Tokyo, 8/30/91
Triple Jump--Christian Taylor, 59-9 (18.21m), World Championships, Beijing, 8/27/15
Shot Put--Joe Kovacs, 75-2 (22.91m), World Championships, Doha, 10/5/19
Discus--Art Burns, 232-10 (70.98m), Nike Pre Classic, Eugene, 7/21/84
Hammer--Szymon Ziolkowski, 273-7 (83.38m), World Championships, Edmonton, 8/5/01
Javelin--Jan Zelezny, 304-5 (92.80m), World Championships, Edmonton, 8/12/01
Decathlon--Ashton Eaton, 9045 points, World Championships, Beijing, 8/28-29/15
20K Walk--Jefferson Perez, 1:17:21, World Championships, Paris-St Denis, 8/23/03
50K Walk--Yohann Diniz, 3:33:12, World Championships, London, 8/13/17
OTHER SIGNIFICANT MARKS WITNESSED IN PERSON
First world record witnessed--Dave Roberts, pole vault, 1976 Olympic Trials, Eugene, 18-8.25 (5.70m).
First world track record witnessed--Henry Rono, steeplechase, 1978 Northwest Relays, Seattle, 8:05.4.
American high school record in the mile--Alan Webb, South Lakes HS, 2001 Nike Pre Classic, 3:53.43.
First collegiate track record announced--Michael Saruni, UTEP, 800m, 2018 Desert Heat Classic, Tucson, 1:43.25 (video below courtesy UTEP Athletics).
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Below is the list of the best marks I've witnessed in person in the current world championship and Olympic medal events.
The majority of these marks have come at the World Athletics world championship meets that I've attended (Tokyo, Stuttgart, Athens, Seville, Edmonton, Paris-St Denis, Helsinki, Osaka, Berlin, Daegu, Moscow, Beijing, London & Doha), with only Helsinki (1983), Rome (1987) and Gothenburg (1995) the only ones I've missed
If a mark is in bold-print, that means that it's the current world record in that event. If it's in italics, it signifies that it was a world record at the time.
I'll publish my greatest women's marks next--enjoy!
 |
| Usain Bolt after setting the world record in the 200 meters in Berlin in 2009 (Paul Merca photo) |
200m--Usain Bolt, 19.19, World Championships, Berlin, 8/20/09
400m--Michael Johnson, 43.18, World Championships, Seville, 8/26/99
800m--Donavan Brazier, 1:42.34, World Championships, Doha, 10/1/19
1500m--Hicham El Guerrouj, 3:27.65, World Championships, Seville, 8/24/99
Mile--Daniel Komen, 3:48.28, Nike Pre Classic, Eugene, 6/10/07
5000m--Eliud Kipchoge, 12:52.79, World Championships, 8/31/03
 |
| Kenenisa Bekele in the 10000m at the 2008 Nike Pre Classic (Paul Merca photo) |
Marathon--Dennis Kimetto, 2:02:57, Berlin Marathon, 9/28/14
Steeple--Ezekiel Kemboi, 8:00.43, World Championships, Berlin, 8/18/09
110 Hurdles--David Oliver, 12.90, Nike Pre Classic, Eugene, 7/3/10
400 Hurdles--Rai Benjamin, 47.02, NCAA Championships, Eugene, 6/8/18
4 x 100 Relay--USA (Coleman, Gatlin, Rodgers, Lyles), 37.10, World Championships, Doha 10/5/19
4 x 400 Relay--USA (Valmon, Watts, Reynolds, Johnson) 2:54.29. World Championships, Stuttgart, 8/22/93
High Jump--Bohdan Bondarenko, 7-10.75 (2.41m), World Championships, Moscow, 8/15/13
Pole Vault--Sam Kendricks, 19-10.5 (6.06m), USATF Championships, Des Moines, 7/27/19
Long Jump--Mike Powell, 29-4.5 (8.95m), World Championships, Tokyo, 8/30/91
Triple Jump--Christian Taylor, 59-9 (18.21m), World Championships, Beijing, 8/27/15
 |
| Joe Kovacs winning the shot put at the 2019 world championships in Doha (Paul Merca photo) |
Discus--Art Burns, 232-10 (70.98m), Nike Pre Classic, Eugene, 7/21/84
Hammer--Szymon Ziolkowski, 273-7 (83.38m), World Championships, Edmonton, 8/5/01
Javelin--Jan Zelezny, 304-5 (92.80m), World Championships, Edmonton, 8/12/01
 |
| Ashton Eaton en route to a world record of 9045 points in the decathlon (Paul Merca photo) |
20K Walk--Jefferson Perez, 1:17:21, World Championships, Paris-St Denis, 8/23/03
50K Walk--Yohann Diniz, 3:33:12, World Championships, London, 8/13/17
OTHER SIGNIFICANT MARKS WITNESSED IN PERSON
First world record witnessed--Dave Roberts, pole vault, 1976 Olympic Trials, Eugene, 18-8.25 (5.70m).
First world track record witnessed--Henry Rono, steeplechase, 1978 Northwest Relays, Seattle, 8:05.4.
American high school record in the mile--Alan Webb, South Lakes HS, 2001 Nike Pre Classic, 3:53.43.
First collegiate track record announced--Michael Saruni, UTEP, 800m, 2018 Desert Heat Classic, Tucson, 1:43.25 (video below courtesy UTEP Athletics).
🚨🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨🚨— UTEP Track & Field/XC (@UTEPTrack) April 29, 2018
Michael Saruni (1:43.25) sets a new NCAA 800m Record!!! pic.twitter.com/DA3X6j91ou
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