1983 World Championships in Athletics - Women's 4 x 400 metres relay
Encyclopedia
The 4 x 400 metres relay
at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics
was held at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium
on August 13 and August 14.
4 x 400 metres relay
The 4 x 400 meters relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 400 meters or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, the first 500 meters is run in lanes...
at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics
1983 World Championships in Athletics
The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....
was held at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium
Helsinki Olympic Stadium
The Helsinki Olympic Stadium , located in the Töölö district about from the center of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country, nowadays mainly used for hosting sports events and big concerts. The stadium is best known for being the center of activities in the 1952...
on August 13 and August 14.
Medals
| Gold: | Silver: | Bronze: |
 German Democratic RepublicGesine Walther Gesine Walther Gesine Walther is a retired East German sprinter who competed mainly in the 200 metres.-Biography:In 1982 she became the first European indoor champion in the 200 metres event... Sabine Busch Sabine Busch Sabine Busch is a retired East German athlete who specialized in the 400 metres and the 400 metres hurdles. She was born in Erfurt.At the 1982 European Championships she finished fourth in the 400 metres hurdles, but won a gold medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay together with teammates Kirsten... Marita Koch Marita Koch Marita Koch , is a former sprint track and field athlete... Dagmar Rübsam |
 CzechoslovakiaTatána Kocembová Tatána Kocembová Taťána Kocembová is a retired 400 metres runner who represented Czechoslovakia. Her greatest achievement was the 1983 World Championship silver medal in a personal best time of 48.59s. That time still ranks as the number 10 time and number 5 individual ever... Milena Matejkovicova-Strnadova Zuzana Moravcikova Jarmila Kratochvílová Jarmila Kratochvílová Jarmila Kratochvílová is a Czech former sprinter and middle distance runner. In 1983, she set world record times for both the 400 metres and 800 metres, and won gold medals in both distances at the World Championships.... |
 Soviet UnionYelena Didilenko-Korban Yelena Korban Yelena Korban is a retired track and field sprinter from the Soviet Union, known for winning the bronze medal in the women's 4x400 metres relay at the 1982 European Championships... Marina Ivanova-Kharlamova Irina Baskakova Irina Baskakova Irina Baskakova is a retired track and field sprinter from the Soviet Union, known for winning the bronze medal in the women's 4x400 metres relay at the 1982 European Championships... Mariya Kulchunova-Pinigina |
Records
Existing records at the start of the event.| World Record | 3:19.04 | Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
September 11, 1982 | |
| Championship Record | New event | |||
Heats
All times shown are in minutes.Heat 1
United States (Roberta Belle, Easter Gabriel, Rosalyn BryantRosalyn BryantRosalyn Bryant is an American athlete who competed mainly in the 400 meters....
, Denean Howard-Hill) 3:26.82 Q
Canada (Charmaine CrooksCharmaine CrooksCharmaine Crooks , is a Canadian athlete, five-time Olympian and Olympic Silver Medalist . Charmaine was born in Mandeville, Jamaica, but represented Canada for close to 20 years in athletics...
, Jillian RichardsonJillian RichardsonJillian Richardson is a Canadian athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres....
, Molly KillingbeckMolly KillingbeckMolly Killingbeck is a Canadian athlete who competed in two consecutive Summer Olympics for Canada, starting in 1984....
, Marita Payne-Wiggins) 3:27.21 Q- Czechoslovakia (Milena Matejkovičová-Strnadová, Zuzana Moravčíková, Taťána KocembováTatána KocembováTaťána Kocembová is a retired 400 metres runner who represented Czechoslovakia. Her greatest achievement was the 1983 World Championship silver medal in a personal best time of 48.59s. That time still ranks as the number 10 time and number 5 individual ever...
, Jarmila KratochvílováJarmila KratochvílováJarmila Kratochvílová is a Czech former sprinter and middle distance runner. In 1983, she set world record times for both the 400 metres and 800 metres, and won gold medals in both distances at the World Championships....
) 3:27.60 Q 
West Germany (Rita Daimer, Ute ThimmUte ThimmUte Thimm, née Finger is a German athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres.She competed for West Germany in the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, USA in the 4 x 400 metres where she won the bronze medal with her team mates Heike Schulte-Mattler, Heide-Elke Gaugel and Gaby Bußmann. She...
, Gisela Gottwald, Gaby Bußmann) 3:29.70 q
Romania (Iulia Radu, Daniela Matei, Cristieana Cojocaru, Elena Lina) 3:30.96 q
Heat 2
- Soviet Union (Yelena Didilenko-KorbanYelena KorbanYelena Korban is a retired track and field sprinter from the Soviet Union, known for winning the bronze medal in the women's 4x400 metres relay at the 1982 European Championships...
, Marina Ivanova-Kharlamova, Irina BaskakovaIrina BaskakovaIrina Baskakova is a retired track and field sprinter from the Soviet Union, known for winning the bronze medal in the women's 4x400 metres relay at the 1982 European Championships...
, Mariya Kulchunova-Pinigina) 3:28.77 Q - German Democratic Republic (Kerstin WaltherKerstin WaltherKerstin Walther is a retired East German sprinter.She won both the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4 x 100 metres relay at the 1979 European Junior Championships. At the 1983 World Championships she won a gold medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay...
, Undine BremerUndine BremerUndine Bremer, née Hartmann is a retired East German sprinter who competed mainly in the 400 metres.At the 1983 World Championships she won a gold medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay...
, Ellen Neumann-Fiedler, Sabine BuschSabine BuschSabine Busch is a retired East German athlete who specialized in the 400 metres and the 400 metres hurdles. She was born in Erfurt.At the 1982 European Championships she finished fourth in the 400 metres hurdles, but won a gold medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay together with teammates Kirsten...
) 3:29.05 Q 
Bulgaria (Svobodka DamyanovaSvobodka DamyanovaSvobodka Damyanova is a retired Bulgarian sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres.She was born in Sofia, and represented the clubs CSKA and Septemvrisko Zname. She finished eighth in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 1983 World Championships, with teammates Rositsa Stamenova, Katya Ilieva and...
, Rositsa StamenovaRositsa StamenovaRositsa Stamenova is a retired sprinter from Bulgaria. She won two medals at the European Indoor Championships.Her personal best time was 50.82 seconds, achieved in August 1984 in Prague.-Achievements:-References:...
, Katya IlievaKatya IlievaKatya Ilieva is a retired Bulgarian sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres.She finished eighth in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 1983 World Championships, with teammates Svobodka Damyanova, Rositsa Stamenova and Galina Penkova....
, Galina PenkovaGalina PenkovaGalina Penkova, née Yencheva is a retired Bulgarian sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres.She finished eighth in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 1983 World Championships, with teammates Svobodka Damyanova, Rositsa Stamenova and Katya Ilieva....
) 3:31.11 Q
Jamaica (Cathy Rattray-WilliamsCathy Rattray-WilliamsCatherine Ann Rattray-Williams is a retired female sprinter from Jamaica, who mainly competed in the women's 400 metres during her career. She is a four-time Olympian, making her debut in 1980 .-Achievements:...
, Ovrill Dwyer-Brown, Jacqueline Pusey, Grace JacksonGrace JacksonGrace Jackson is a retired Jamaican athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metres and 200 metres....
) 3:34.17
Puerto Rico (Madeline De JesusMadeline de JesúsMadeline de Jesús is a retired female track and field athlete from Puerto Rico, who competed in the women's long jump and triple jump during her career. Her personal best in the long jump was set on July 24, 1988 in Mexico City...
, Vilma Paris, Margaret De JesusMargaret de JesúsMargaret de Jesús is a retired female track and field athlete from Puerto Rico, who competed in the women's 400 metres during her career. She set her personal best in the event in 1987. Her sole global competition appearance came at the 1984 Summer Olympics where she competed as part of the...
, Nilsa Paris) 3:42.79
Final
- German Democratic Republic (Gesine WaltherGesine WaltherGesine Walther is a retired East German sprinter who competed mainly in the 200 metres.-Biography:In 1982 she became the first European indoor champion in the 200 metres event...
, Sabine Busch, Marita KochMarita KochMarita Koch , is a former sprint track and field athlete...
, Dagmar Rübsam) 3:19.73 - Czechoslovakia (Taťána Kocembová, Milena Matejkovičová-Strnadová, Zuzana Moravčíková, Jarmila Kratochvílová) 3:20.32
- Soviet Union (Yelena Didilenko-Korban, Marina Ivanova-Kharlamova, Irina Baskakova, Mariya Kulchunova-Pinigina) 3:21.16
- Canada (Charmaine Crooks, Jillian Richardson, Molly Killingbeck, Marita Payne-Wiggins) 3:27.41
- United States (Roberta Belle, Easter Gabriel, Rosalyn Bryant, Denean Howard-Hill) 3:27.57
- West Germany (Rita Daimer, Ute Thimm, Gisela Gottwald, Gaby Bußmann) 3:29.43
- Bulgaria (Svobodka Damyanova, Rositsa Stamenova, Katya Ilieva, Galina Penkova) 3:30.36
- Romania (Iulia Radu, Daniela Matei, Cristieana Cojocaru, Elena Lina) 3:35.61