AW has an interesting article out on the WR and how ridiculous Kratochvílová’s double at Worlds was that year:
Trickiest of all was Tuesday August 9 when she won her 400m semi-final in 51.08 and the 800m final in 1:54.68 just 35 minutes later, although AW’s coverage at the time suggests there was as little as 24 minutes between her leaving the track after the 400m and returning for the 800m. Then, the following day, she passed 200m in 23.2 before clocking 47.99 in the 400m final to beat Koch’s world record of 48.16.
I remember reading that the East Germans at the time developed a steroid that was more powerful than anything available then or now.
Not possible, Whatever they have now HAS TO BE at Minimum equal to it as it was developed a long time ago, Then they try things to make it more powerful, if nothing improves it , then they already know how to develop that, Most Likely the stuff now is FAR MORE Powerful
July 26, 2023 • 04:40 Kratochvil's record for startling is 40 years old. The legend knows who can beat her
It was a mistake in the Matrix. In the hot summer of 1983, runner Jarmila Kratochvílová had completely different things to worry about than standing at the start of the 800-meter race at the Olympic Stadium in Munich. She decided for him only at the last moment, took advantage of the coincidence of circumstances, and watched the timer in amazement at the finish line: "I said to myself: This is not possible, the clock is not running!" It was a world record of 1:53.28 minutes, which stands to this day. But Kratochvílová herself has already looked for a successor.
Michael Phelps lost the oldest swimming record, but athletic history still can't wait for the slayer of Jarmila Kratochvílova.
"It's interesting now with the anniversary. For the last few days, I've been telling myself to make it last until the twenty-sixth," Kratochvílová described.
For four decades, he has been nervous on television. But on Wednesday, she will go to Lány for a private celebration that she still holds the oldest athletics record 40 years after her legendary run in Munich.
If everything had gone according to plan, Kratochvílová would have run the 200-meter sprint on July 26, 1983 at the Olympic Stadium. Three days before, however, she ran on a Thursday in Prague, and the next day she felt a cramp in her leg.
"I wanted to test the 200 in Munich. In the evening, Kratochvílová calls me that she has cramps in her thigh muscle. We went to Munich, she tells me: I'm drawn to it. And I say: You know what? So you just trot eight hundred meters. That was the essence of the matter," said her coach Miroslav Kváč in an interview for the Sport newspaper in 2016.
Kratochvílová was originally a sprinter, she ran courses from the hundred to the fourth. Starting in the middle was exotic for her at the time. With a minor injury, she didn't want to risk the sprint track at that time, because it was less than two weeks before the start of the premier world championship in Helsinki.
"I was afraid of tearing a muscle. On the spot, my coach and I agreed that I would run eight hundred meters. With the fact that I will fulfill the obligation to start. It was difficult here at the time. We were afraid that if I didn't start, they wouldn't let me out for the next races," Kratochvílová recalled.
The race started in a frenzied atmosphere, as fans in the stadium were celebrating Erwin Skamrahl's European record on Thursday. Driver Petra Kleinbrahmová started the women's eight, but in the second lap Kratochvílová was burning alone.
"She ran without inhibitions, without load, without stress," explained Kváč.
"I wanted to run so that I wouldn't struggle too much, so that I could enjoy the feeling that I was running well," explained Kratochvílová. "Only on the straight I saw a light clock that measured time. Twenty meters before the finish I saw the numbers 1:49. I thought to myself: That's impossible, the clock doesn't work!'
Kvač praised himself: "She really finished it like the lady of the stadium."
The time of 1:53.28 marked a surprising world record. By 15 hundredths of a second, Kratochvílová surpassed the previous performance of Soviet woman Naděžda Olizarenková from the Olympics in Moscow. And it was only here that she started thinking about running the 800-meter race at the World Championships in Helsinki on Thursday.
"If it wasn't for that performance from Munich, I certainly wouldn't have run the 800 meters, because I was preparing for the 400 meters and for the fight with Marita Kochová," says Kratochvílová.
Exactly 40 years later, her surprising run from Munich remains the oldest outdoor athletics world record. Kratochvílová watches her followers all this time.
“Caster was probably the closest to that. At one time I thought that he would break the record for sure. I watched her run, how cool she was," Kratochvílová reminds South African runner Semenya, whose career was hampered by the World Athletics' measures against female athletes with a different sexual development.
Even without her, the women's half is at its height in the current era, dominated by the duel between the American Athing Mu and the British Keely Hodgkinson.
"I always watch half. I think they have a chance. They have the advantage of light markings that show records. If you don't experience it, you can't imagine how much it can help," explains Kratochvílová.
However, she herself sees a possible challenger to her record time elsewhere. It is reminiscent of this season's star, Kenyan Faith Kipyegon, who has broken world records in the 1500m, mile and 5000m in recent weeks.
"As I watched her, I thought to myself: Damn, she could give half of that! Those are amazing feats. Maybe I'll wait until he starts the eighth grade. I would very much like it, I would be curious how such a girl can handle it," says Kratochvílová.
Someone supposedly pulled info from the book Čekání by Jarmila Kratochvílová and her coach Miroslav Kváč. Didn't really start athletics training until she was 16. Interesting that a 200-400m runner (at the time) would run 7.5 miles with a 13lb weight vest.
1976 (PB 11,5ht and 23,6ht) [Edit: 53.39 400m in Aug '76 at 25 years old] April: SU-I-150 jumps, abs work II- 8 km run with 13lb weight vest MO-I-6x500m (1:45) 6min. rest II- circle training(4 x 2 min.) TU-I-4x350m (200m29s) rest6min. WE-I-6x500m (1:35) with 13lb weight vest rest 7min. II- games + circle training (4x2min.) TH- I-rest (sauna) FR- I-3x100m easy, 8x starts till 60m, 3x100m accele., 3x100mF-E-F, 4x40m fast II- 2 x 6 x 150m rest4min./12min (90%) SA- I- running excercises with weight vest, weights, II- 12km run with 13lb weight vest According to her coach that was like walk with the child.
JUNE 1981 last couple of days before World Cup in Rome where she ran 48.61 and was 0.01 behind WR. 1day) Competition 400m- 49.17, 200m-22.26 2day) 2x60m easy, 1x150m (16.6) 3day) rest 4day) 2x60m easy, 10x starts in the curve, 6x60m 3xeasy(7.1) 1xfast(6.72), 2xeasy(7.2) 5day) 1x60m easy, 3x(3x200m) 5min/10min (26.5, 25.9, 23.1, 26.2, 25.3, 25.1) 6day) weights (between 50kg-70kg), uphills-3x200m 3min (33.8, 33, 32.7) + 3x100m walk back (14.8, 14.5, 14.5) 7day) 2x60m easy (7.5), 6x150m 4min (19.1, 18.6, 18.2, 19, 18.2, 17.4) 8day) 8x100m tempo run, excercises for back and abs
1982 (PB 11,09, 21,97, 48,61)
MAY in Font Romeo. time trial2 x 300m rest 15min. (34,4 and 35,1)
NOVEMBER 1982: A) 5x(500m, 300m, 300m) 3min/6min. (500m-1:32, 300m-52) B) 4x(4x300m) 2min/6min. (300m-51) C) 5x(500m, 300m, 200m) 3min/6min. (500m-1:29, 300m-50, 200m-28) D) 4x(5x300m) 2min/6min. (300m-49)
1983 (PB 47,99, 1:53,29) April in Caslav 20 x 200m uphill with 13lb weight vest rest 2min.
APRIL 1983: A) 4x(3x300m) 2min/6min. (relaxed, fast, relaxed) B) 3x(500m, 200m, 200m) 2-6min/ 10min (500m-1:17, 200m-27) C) 5x300m 12min. (37.9, 37.4, 37.1, 37.6, 37.2) D) 9x(2x200m) 1min/5min (200m-27)
JULY 1983 - Some workouts she did in high altitude A) 2 x (4x150m) in 18"4, rests 4’ & 12’ B) 3 x (150, 200, 100) in 17"0-22"8-11"2, rests 8’ & 15’ C) 4 x (300, 100m) in 39"-11"8, rests 1’ & 15’ D) 3 x (300, 200, 200) in 41"5-25"5, rests 5’ & 12’
From Sports Illustrated Jan '84 ‘Instead, she put in two hard training sessions a day, doing such things as 15 brisk 300-meter intervals of 47 seconds each, with 100 meter trots in between. Miler’s work. “The philosophy of her training,” said her gently smiling, roly-poly coach, Miroslav Kvac, “is that building endurance doesn’t have a negative effect on her speed.”’ A gentle tempo session falling within the bracket 75% of best time or slower.
Someone supposedly pulled info from the book Čekání by Jarmila Kratochvílová and her coach Miroslav Kváč. Didn't really start athletics training until she was 16. Interesting that a 200-400m runner (at the time) would run 7.5 miles with a 13lb weight vest.
1976 (PB 11,5ht and 23,6ht) [Edit: 53.39 400m in Aug '76 at 25 years old] April: SU-I-150 jumps, abs work II- 8 km run with 13lb weight vest MO-I-6x500m (1:45) 6min. rest II- circle training(4 x 2 min.) TU-I-4x350m (200m29s) rest6min. WE-I-6x500m (1:35) with 13lb weight vest rest 7min. II- games + circle training (4x2min.) TH- I-rest (sauna) FR- I-3x100m easy, 8x starts till 60m, 3x100m accele., 3x100mF-E-F, 4x40m fast II- 2 x 6 x 150m rest4min./12min (90%) SA- I- running excercises with weight vest, weights, II- 12km run with 13lb weight vest According to her coach that was like walk with the child.
JUNE 1981 last couple of days before World Cup in Rome where she ran 48.61 and was 0.01 behind WR. 1day) Competition 400m- 49.17, 200m-22.26 2day) 2x60m easy, 1x150m (16.6) 3day) rest 4day) 2x60m easy, 10x starts in the curve, 6x60m 3xeasy(7.1) 1xfast(6.72), 2xeasy(7.2) 5day) 1x60m easy, 3x(3x200m) 5min/10min (26.5, 25.9, 23.1, 26.2, 25.3, 25.1) 6day) weights (between 50kg-70kg), uphills-3x200m 3min (33.8, 33, 32.7) + 3x100m walk back (14.8, 14.5, 14.5) 7day) 2x60m easy (7.5), 6x150m 4min (19.1, 18.6, 18.2, 19, 18.2, 17.4) 8day) 8x100m tempo run, excercises for back and abs
1982 (PB 11,09, 21,97, 48,61)
MAY in Font Romeo. time trial2 x 300m rest 15min. (34,4 and 35,1)
NOVEMBER 1982: A) 5x(500m, 300m, 300m) 3min/6min. (500m-1:32, 300m-52) B) 4x(4x300m) 2min/6min. (300m-51) C) 5x(500m, 300m, 200m) 3min/6min. (500m-1:29, 300m-50, 200m-28) D) 4x(5x300m) 2min/6min. (300m-49)
1983 (PB 47,99, 1:53,29) April in Caslav 20 x 200m uphill with 13lb weight vest rest 2min.
APRIL 1983: A) 4x(3x300m) 2min/6min. (relaxed, fast, relaxed) B) 3x(500m, 200m, 200m) 2-6min/ 10min (500m-1:17, 200m-27) C) 5x300m 12min. (37.9, 37.4, 37.1, 37.6, 37.2) D) 9x(2x200m) 1min/5min (200m-27)
JULY 1983 - Some workouts she did in high altitude A) 2 x (4x150m) in 18"4, rests 4’ & 12’ B) 3 x (150, 200, 100) in 17"0-22"8-11"2, rests 8’ & 15’ C) 4 x (300, 100m) in 39"-11"8, rests 1’ & 15’ D) 3 x (300, 200, 200) in 41"5-25"5, rests 5’ & 12’
From Sports Illustrated Jan '84 ‘Instead, she put in two hard training sessions a day, doing such things as 15 brisk 300-meter intervals of 47 seconds each, with 100 meter trots in between. Miler’s work. “The philosophy of her training,” said her gently smiling, roly-poly coach, Miroslav Kvac, “is that building endurance doesn’t have a negative effect on her speed.”’ A gentle tempo session falling within the bracket 75% of best time or slower.
Just had the realization that most of her training was done on cinder tracks.
Obviously had an extraordinary work ethic and talent but can you imagine trying to recover from this without the heavy aid of drugs? Some of this stuff is insane. The volume isn't unreasonable for an 800 runner but the constant intensity is.
This post was edited 17 seconds after it was posted.
Obviously had an extraordinary work ethic and talent but can you imagine trying to recover from this without the heavy aid of drugs? Some of this stuff is insane. The volume isn't unreasonable for an 800 runner but the constant intensity is.
Which workouts stood out to you in particular that seemed unreasonable regarding the constant intensity? The listed workouts from 1982 on seemed to be just the key ones for that month which may be just a "for that week" sortof deal, but that's just a guess. Wish I could see her full training logs.
The 1976 schedule seems fairly reasonable for someone who can run 23.6/53high. The only hard workout imho is the 4x350 in 58? 400 pace with 6 min rest.
"I always watch half. I think they have a chance. They have the advantage of light markings that show records. If you don't experience it, you can't imagine how much it can help," explains Kratochvílová.
However, she herself sees a possible challenger to her record time elsewhere. It is reminiscent of this season's star, Kenyan Faith Kipyegon, who has broken world records in the 1500m, mile and 5000m in recent weeks.
"As I watched her, I thought to myself: Damn, she could give half of that! Those are amazing feats. Maybe I'll wait until he starts the eighth grade. I would very much like it, I would be curious how such a girl can handle it," says Kratochvílová.