40 years ago: Heptathlon at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles (0)

In absence of notable athletes from Eastern Block (because of boycott) – Sabine Paetz-John (GDR) 6867, Nataliya Shubenkova (USSR) 6799, world record holder Ramona Neubert (GDR)6740, Anke Vater (GDR) 6722, Nataliya Gracheva (USSR) 6563, Nataliya Vinogradova (USSR) 6523 points, all expectations were focused on “hostesses” Jackie Joyner 6520 & Jane Frederick 6611 (who injured herself just two (!) days before the competition!), Sabine Everts (FRG) and Sabine Braun (FRG) 6442…

Yearly at the morning of 03th August 1984 no fewer than 23 athletes entered the Heptathlon contest (for the first time in Olympic history, replacing old fashioned Pentathlon). At first event (100 m hurdles) they were scheduled in three heats. In second heat British Kim Hagger set the pace -13.39 (-0.4), ahead of Dutch Tineke Hidding 13.70. All pretenders started in the next third heat. It was some surprising that Aussie Glynis Saunders-Nunn became fastest with pb of 13.02 (-1.5), followed by Judy Livermore-Simpson (Gbr) 13.07. The West Germans Sabine Everts (13.54) and Sabine Braun (13.61) took disappointing marks, also the favorite Jackie Joyner (13.63). The excellent long jumper Jodi Anderson (

7.00 m) arrived last and injured in 14.40 sec. Standings after first event: 1. Nunn 999, 2. Livermore-Simpson 992, 3. Hagger 946, 4. Everts 926, 5. Braun 916, 6. Joyner 9

14, 7. Hidding 905, 8. Cindy Greiner (USA) 903 (13.71), 9. Jill Ross Giffen 902 (13.72), the two French Chantal Beaugeant 890 (13.81), Florence Picaut 888 (13.83)…..

Second event was High Jump. In Group A three girls got 1.80 – Glynis Nunn, Florence Picaut and Sabine Braun, and other two jumped 1.74 - Li-Jiau Tsai  (TPE) and Hidding (NED). Group B was significantly stronger. Lanky German Sabine Everts took successfully 1.89 at her third try, as four others – Corinne Schneider (SUI), Judy Simpson (Gbr), Birgit Dressel (FRG) and Kim Hagger leap over 1.86. Jackie Joyner could get “only”1.80 m, and Anderson had serious difficulties clearing 1.65 (compared with her pb of 1.83 m). After two events: 1. Judy Simpson 2078, 2. Everts 2039, 3. Hagger 2032, 4. Nunn 2030, 5. Greiner 1962, 6. Braun 1947, 7. Birgit Dressel 1946 (14.05 & 1.86), 8. Jackie Joyner 1945, 9. Corinne

Schneider (SUI) 1937, 10. Marjon Wijnsma (Ned) 1934 (13.93 & 1.83), 11. Florence Picaut (Fra) 1919 (13.83 & 1.80), 12. Annette Tannander (Swe) 1917 (14.06 & 1.83), 13. Kristine Tannander (Swe) 1896 (14.08 & 1.80), 14. Hidding 1879 (13.70 & 1.74)….

The third event came in the afternoon. No one except Joyner (14.39) could surpass even 14 meters – Simpson 13.86 m, Hidding 13.48, Greiner 13.36, Geremias (Bra) 13.15, Picaut 13.08 ….. Nunn 12.82, Kristine Tannander (Swe) 12.74, Dressel 12.72, Wijnsma 12.57, Everts 12.49, Annette Tannander 12.37, Hagger 12.29….. Britisch Judy Simpson proceeded to lead in 2908 (more tham 100 points before Joyner), 2. Joyner 2806, 3. Nunn 2799, 4. Everts 2788, 5. Hagger 2769, 6. Greiner 2763, 7. Dressell 2709, 8. Picaut 2704, 9. Wijnsma 2688, 10. Hidding 2682, 11. Schneider and Braun tie 2672, 13. Kristine Tannander 2660, 14. Annette Tannander 2659 points.

Fourth event of Heptathlon went on in the early evening hours. In second (out of three) heat Dutch Tineke Hidding was superior – 24.14, ahead of Hagger 24.72 and Wijnsma 24.91 again into the wind (-1.5)…. The third and final heat gathered the current leaders. Three ladies burst on the finish line almost equally – Joyner (second lane) and Everts (fourth lane) finished with the same 24.05 sec. (-1.3), followed a fraction of Aussie Glynis Nunn 24.06 from outing seventh lane. Sabine Braun (24.22 from lane sex) surpassed American Greiner 24.40….. And Simpson (24.95) & Dressel (25.59) arrived far behind…. But Jodie Anderson (US LJ ex-champion) was absent ….. After four events:1. Simpson 3759, 2. Joyner 3739, 3. Nunn 3731, 4. Everts 3721, 5. Greiner 3663, 6. Hagger 3640, 7. Hidding 3613, 8. Braun 3589, 9. Picaut 3543, 10. Wijnsma 3542, 11. Dressel 3505, 12. Krstine Tannander 3504, 13. Corinne Schneider (Sui) 3490 points…..

Second day (4th August) began with the fifth event of Heptathlon – Long Jump. In Group A only younger of Tannander sisters – Annette – could produce something special – 6.27 (+1.1). In Group B among ten rest athletes around the pit the favorites Hagger (sixth), Braun (seventh), Nunn (eighth), Joyne (eleventh) and Everts (twelve) jumped one after another in that order…… Nunn (6.52) and Everts (6.58) went convinced ahead in first round, but Joyner fouled…… Second round showed Hagger (6.37), Nunn (6.66 pb) and Everts (6.71) to improve. Joyner marked second consecutive foul. In third round Tineke Hidding (6.35) and Judy Simpson (6.33) landed to good measures. Jackie Joyner, damaged for third foul in row, made “safe” leap of … only 6.11 (compared with her 6.81 m made at the same pit a month and half earlier). Hagger and Everts fouled for the first time (the leap of German seemed to be over 6.90 m!). After fifth event: 1. Everts 4779, 2. Nunn 4778 (single point behind!), 3. Simpson 4737, 4. Joyner 4669, 5. Hagger 4626, 6. Greiner 4602, 7. Hidding 4595, 8. Braun 4517, 9.Wijnsma 4461, 10. Dressel 4444, 11. Picaut 4431, 12. A.Tannander 4354, 13. Schneider 4334, 14. Kr.Tannander  4314 points

Only few athletes could exceed 40 meters limit during the sixth event of Pentathlon – javelin Throwing. Suisse Corinne Schneider was the best in the sector – 46.60,  followed by the unknown Iammogapi Launa PNG) 46.50. Jackie Joyner (44.52) tried to catch up the leader, but the mark was insufficient to recover from..... Sabine Braun threw good for 44.14, as so produced Tannader sisters – Kristine (42.34) & Annette (41.46), also the third German Dressel (42.62) m…. Nunn lost a few points of her advance (35.58), but even worse stood Sabine Everts with miserable 32.62 m. After six events: 1. Joyner 5504, 2. Nunn 5473, 3. Everts 5424, 4. Simpson 5399, 5. Greiner 5381, 6. Braun 5346, 7. Hagger 5318, 8. Hidding 5263, 9. Dressel 5250, 10. Schneider 5199, 11. Anette Tannander 5143, 12. Wijnsma 5132.

Three heats in all were scheduled at the seventh and last event of Heptathlon (800 m). In first of them Jill Ross-Giffen (Can) recorded 2:11.97, in second two compatriots from Holland Hidding (2:12.84) and Marjon Wijnsma (2:12.91) got the first two spots….. First seven in current rankings started in the last third heat. Sabine Everts took the leadership (400 m 61.93), followed not far behind by Nunn. Everts finished first at last for 2:09.05, Nunn arrived second in 2:10.57 (forth personal best in contest), Greiner – third 2:11.75, Braun forth 2:12.48, Simpson fifth 2:13.01, Joyner sixth 2:13.03 and Hagger distant last in 2:18.44…… Speed calculations recapitulated the final standings: 1. Glynis Nunn 6390, 2. Joyner 6385, 3. Everts 6363, 4. Greiner 6281, 5. Simpson 6280, 6. Braun 6236, 7. Hidding 6147, 8. Hagger 6127, 9. Dressel 6082, 10. Schneider 6042, 11. Wijnsma 6015, 12. Picaut 5914, 13. Picaut 5914, 14. Kristine Tannander 5908 points….

All in one, Glynis Saunders-Nunn caught the title just with five points advance ahead of Jackie Joyner. Could Jackie jump at about 6.60 m (at least) he would add more than 100 points to her score and would for sure get the Gold. The scores of athletes were calculated according the score table in use 1971-1984. If the sums have had to be recalculated with the new score table (used since 1985), the winner would have been …. Sabine Everts (6388), a single point ahead of Nunn (6387) and some 25 points before Joyner (6363).

Alexander Vangelov for Decathlon 2000