Jarmila Kratochvílová
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| Medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Jarmila Kratochvílová |
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| Women's Athletics | |||
Competitor for  Czechoslovakia |
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| Olympic Games | |||
| Silver | 1980 Moscow | 400 m | |
| World Championships | |||
| Gold | 1983 Helsinki | 400 m | |
| Gold | 1983 Helsinki | 800 m | |
| Silver | 1983 Helsinki | 4x400 m relay | |
| European Championships | |||
| Silver | 1982 Athens | 400 m | |
| Silver | 1982 Athens | 4x400 m relay | |
| European Indoor Championships | |||
| Gold | 1981 Grenoble | 400 m | |
| Gold | 1982 Milan | 400 m | |
| Gold | 1983 Budapest | 400 m | |
Jarmila Kratochvílová (pronounced [ˈjarmɪla ˈkratoxviːlovaː]) (born 26 January 1951 in Golčův Jeníkov) is a former late-developing Czech 400 m runner whose career was dogged by injury and illness. Always in the shadow of Marita Koch she hit peak form in 1983 aged 32. Entering a one-off 800 m in Munich reportedly as a training exercise, she broke the world record with 1:53.28. This convinced her to attempt an unlikely double in the inaugural World Championships 10 days later. Despite a seemingly impossible schedule, she won the 800 m easily and set a world record 47.99 to win the 400 m. Koch, having missed training through injury ran (and won) the 200 m. Though Koch beat her 400 m time in 1985, her 800 m record remains as one of the longest standing in Track and Field.
[edit] Rumours of doping
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (August 2007) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
Her heavily developed limb musculature and broad shoulders gave her a distinctly unfeminine appearance, which along with her sudden success in producing extraordinary marks led to her performances being questioned. Drug rumours persist, though in her case no evidence has ever come to light, not surprising given that random drug testing was introduced many years after she set her records in the early 1980s. Several factors suggest doping on her part, even if unknowingly as was the case with many East German athletes. These factors include her physical appearance, the spontaneity of her success, and the fact that the times she set in the 400 and 800 metre events only 10 days apart in 1983 were only bettered in one instance in more than 2 decades since and on that occasion - the 400 m in 1985 - also by an athlete that was almost certainly part of the systemic East German doping system, Marita Koch. To this day these two records stand as the two oldest records in track and field athletics.
On August 16, 2006, Reuters reported the finding of secret documents which show doctors administered banned substances, such as nandrolone, norandrosterone and stanozolol, through the 1980s to Czechoslovakian athletes in a wide variety of sports including track and field athletics. Despite this, her record remains official, even if there are claims that it should be canceled.
[edit] References
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
Preceded by Nadezhda Olizarenko |
Women's 800 metres World Record Holder 1983-07-26 — |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Awards | ||
Preceded by Marita Koch |
United Press International Athlete of the Year 1983 |
Succeeded by Martina Navratilova |
| Preceded by Marita Koch |
Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year 1983 |
Succeeded by Evelyn Ashford |
| Sporting positions | ||
Preceded by.svg/22px-Flag_of_Romania_(1965-1989).svg.png){kind=small} Doina Melinte |
Women's 800 metres Best Year Performance 1983 |
Succeeded by Irina Podyalovskaya |
