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Did
Carl Lewis finish first in three successive World Championship finals
in the 100 metres?
Arthur Skinner, Scarborough
THE
JUDGE: No, but he did record a hat-trick of victories! Lewis won in 10
03 s in 1983, finished second to Ben Johnson in 1987 in 9 93 s, and was
first in 9 86 s in 1991. Johnson, first across the line in a world
record 9 83 s in 1987, was later stripped of the title by the IAAF
following his admission of drug taking. Lewis was installed as
champion. Johnson also beat Lewis in another new record 9 79 s in the
1988 Seoul Olympics, but was disqual ified after his positive drugs
test. Lewis, second in 9 92 s, was awarded the gold medal.
On
which track did Roger Bannister first break the four-minute mile
barrier?
Peter Jackson, Eastbourne
THE
JUDGE: The Oxford University cinder track at If fley Road, Oxford (3 m
59 4 s on 6 May 1954). It had been a clockwise running track when
Bannister arrived at Oxford, but when he took over as president of the
athletics union one of his first priorities was to turn it into an
orthodox counter clockwise track.
When
did Sally Gunnell run her first 400 metres hurdles race?
Patrick East, Upminister, Essex
THE
JUDGE: Sally clocked 59.9s in her first competitive 400m hurdles race
in 1987. She had specialised in the sprint hurdles event until 1988
(after starting off as a long jumper and winning the WAAA junior title
in 1980). From beat ing the one-minute barrier by just a tenth of a
second in 1987 she progressed to a world record 52.74s in 1993.
Is
is true that former Olympic decathlon champion Dan O'Brien was born in
Finland?
P.T. Lawton, Bolton
THE
JUDGE: Dan O'Brien was born in Portland, Oregon, on 18 July 1966. His
mother was Finnish, his father a black Afro-American. He was adopted at
the age of two by an Oregon couple.