The long jump venue of the Olympic Stadium in Rome is remembered for the ghost jump and the spear sunk into the side. Now the venue has literally been raised to a new level.
At the long jump venue of the Olympic Stadium in Rome, medals have been awarded at the Olympic, World Championship and European Championship levels. Finland has also reached there, Pirkko Helenius voimin 1974, the most recent women’s championship medal in the sport.
But the place of performance is still remembered among athletics followers for completely different things.
The men’s long jump final of the 1987 World Championships was coming to an end on September 5, when the awards ceremony began in the stadium, which always stops all competition for a while. Just before the action was interrupted, Italy Giovanni Evangelist still had time to jump.
The audience shuddered when the jump was measured to be no less than 838 centimeters long and worthy of a bronze medal. In reality, the officials had given their countryman the jump about half a meter “good”. The international umbrella organization of athletics, Italian Primo Nebioloninvolvement in the matter was at least suspected.
The Americans went berserk
Because the ghost result of the Italian, who actually jumped 819 at his best in the competition, dropped the American Larry Myricks at the medals, the USA made a fuss about it and got friends with them. Even the biggest scandal in World Cup history was ready.
Nine months later, Evangelist’s jump was confirmed 785 centimeter to a length, and Myricks was moved up to third.
Expiration near
Just under 20 years later, on July 13, 2007, there was a literal near death at the long jump venue. At that time, the venue was located inside the running track, and the organizers of the Golden Gala competition of the Golden League still allowed jumping and throwing at the same time.
The jumping place was still located to the left when looking from the throwing place, and spears thrown by right-handed throwers often head to the front left.
The worst happened when the one who finished second in the competition with a score of 86.09 Tero Pitkämäki the throw slipped badly to the left.
The tip of the spear pierced the French jumper Salim Sdirin kidney and liver, and the athlete’s life was saved in a Roman hospital.
The event was in Rome on September 10 Oliver Helander’s a traumatic experience for Pitkämä, who arrives as a coach, but at the beginning of September the man won the World Championship gold in Osaka.
This time too – located in a completely new location – the long and triple jump venue has aroused emotions.
– I’ve been walking on it. I have never competed in a similar place, said the German long jump Olympic, WC and EC number one to Urheilu Malaika Mihambo in Rome on Thursday.
Obscures the view of the field
Mihambo was surely telling the truth, because the venue is completely built against the back straight, and it rises several meters above the surface of the field. The structure is somewhat similar to the bounce tracks familiar from hall galores.
– I can’t say if it has such an effect because I’ve only walked on it, Mihambo said.
Saga I swear the match program also includes the long jump, so the coach from Tampere Jesse A river had visited the place.
– Yes, it is special!
Someone had drawn attention to the fact that the structure completely ruins the spectator experience for those who have redeemed their tickets for it.
– You can only see the back straight running tracks behind it, Jokinen laughed.