Controversial Kratochvilova sets a still-standing world record in 1983

Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova appeared, seemingly from nowhere to become a powerhouse in womens' athletics in 1983. Aged 32 at the time, she had been around the circuit for several years without attracting attention but 1983 was the year when all that changed. Her appearance drew gasps from many commentators at the time; with short curly brown hair, and bursting with muscles, she aroused a great deal of suspicion because of her masculine look.

Those suspicions were not quelled when she turned in a series of blistering performances on the track; a specialist 400 metre runner, she broke the 48-second barrier in Helsinki at the inaugural world championships, running 47.99 to set a world record on the way to winning gold. Another performance which raised several eyebrows was her anchor leg in the 4x400 metres relay at the 1983 European Championships; taking over the baton in a distant third behind the East German and Soviet Union runners, she utterly blitzed the others in the home straight to win easily for her Czechoslovakia team. (See video below)

Kratochvilova anchor leg, 4x400m relay European Championships 1983:


Kratochvilova also ran the 800 metres, which is unusual in athletics since it is considered a 'middle-distance' event while the 400 metres is considered a 'sprint'. Nonetheless, she was just as dominant over two laps as she was over one, and in July 1983 set a world record for the 800 metres which still stands today. (Her 400 metres record was broken by East Germany's Marita Koch in 1985, a time of 47.6 which also still stands today.)

In subsequent years Kratochvilova was not as dominant as in 1983, further fuelling speculation about just how those times were achieved. It should be said that she never failed any tests during her career, and Kratochvilova today, now an athletics coach, continues to maintain that her performances were legitimate. 

With this, and Marita Koch's 400 metres record no nearer being broken, there have been calls for the record books to be wiped clean and started afresh since it is now known that the East German performances of this period were tainted, however these calls have so far been resisted and the records stand. It is likely that these times will stand for several years to come.