Records

Dogged by injury for much of 1999, Michael Johnson contested only three 400m races prior to the World Championships. Luckily, due to the IAAF’s rule of allowing the reigning champion automatic entry, he was allowed to compete despite not having taken part in the qualifying trials.

But, given his performance, you’d never have guessed that he’d had any problems. Johnson flew out of the blocks and was streets ahead by the end of the first bend. After that, he never let up and recorded a world record: 43.18. What a legend.

In the bad old days of the Cold War, the Eastern Bloc churned out record-breaking athletes. How did they do it? With the Iron Curtain drawn back, their unconventional methods have since been revealed: state-sponsored doping, apparently done without athletes’ knowledge or consent. But even so, this astounding run by Marita Koch (who maintains her innocence with regard to the doping scandal) provided a memorable spectacle.

The East German sprinter had been smashing world records at 50m, 60m and 200m since the 1970s, and had also reset the 400m mark six times prior to this one.

On this occasion she appears to be on fast-forward while the rest of the field are at half-speed.

Starting like a rocket in lane two, she pours on the coals for 380m and, even though her legs eventually do tighten and her stride shortens, a new world record is never in doubt: 47.60.