Marita Koch
Encyclopedia
Marita Koch is a former sprint track and field
athlete. During her career she collected a remarkable sixteen world records in outdoor sprints, as well as 14 world records in indoor events.
quarter final at the 1976 Summer Olympics
in Montreal (51.87 seconds), but withdrew due to injury
.
Koch set her first world record in 1977 in Milan, when she ran 400 metres indoors in 51.8 seconds. The following year, she set her first outdoor record at 400 metres in 49.19 seconds. She topped this with another two world records within a month.
In 1979 Koch became the first woman to run 200 metres
in under 22 seconds. Her time of 21.71 seconds set at Karl Marx Stadt stood as the world record for nine years.
At the Moscow Olympics of 1980
she won the gold medal
in the individual 400 metres and silver medal
in the 4 x 400 metres relay
race.
Three weeks before the 1984 Olympic Games
she tied her own record, but the East German boycott prevented her from competing in the games.
Koch set the current 400 metres world record of 47.60 seconds, a time considered far out of reach of even the best present athletes, on 6 October 1985 at Bruce Stadium
in Canberra
, Australia
.
Marlies Göhr
challenged Marita Koch in indoor sprints. As a result, Marita Koch became one of the most successful runners over 50
and 60 metres
, where she set many records between 1980 and 1985.
As a member of East Germany's relay teams, Koch set more world records. With a team led together with Göhr, they set new world records over 4 x 100 metres
in 1979 and 1983. The same team, with Koch part of it, that won silver over 4 x 400 metres in the 1980 Olympic Games, set world records over the same distance in 1980, 1982 and 1984.
Koch also won the European Championships
at 400 metres in 1978, 1982 and 1986, before retiring in 1987 as one of Germany's most successful athletes. She remains the European record
holder over 200 metres.
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete. During her career she collected a remarkable sixteen world records in outdoor sprints, as well as 14 world records in indoor events.
Career
Koch ran in the 400 metres400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
quarter final at the 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
in Montreal (51.87 seconds), but withdrew due to injury
Injury
-By cause:*Traumatic injury, a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident*Other injuries from external physical causes, such as radiation injury, burn injury or frostbite*Injury from infection...
.
Koch set her first world record in 1977 in Milan, when she ran 400 metres indoors in 51.8 seconds. The following year, she set her first outdoor record at 400 metres in 49.19 seconds. She topped this with another two world records within a month.
In 1979 Koch became the first woman to run 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
in under 22 seconds. Her time of 21.71 seconds set at Karl Marx Stadt stood as the world record for nine years.
At the Moscow Olympics of 1980
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
she won the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the individual 400 metres and silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the 4 x 400 metres relay
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...
race.
Three weeks before the 1984 Olympic Games
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
she tied her own record, but the East German boycott prevented her from competing in the games.
Koch set the current 400 metres world record of 47.60 seconds, a time considered far out of reach of even the best present athletes, on 6 October 1985 at Bruce Stadium
Canberra Stadium
Canberra Stadium is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Marlies Göhr
Marlies Göhr
Marlies Göhr is a former East German athlete, the winner of the 100 m at the inaugural World Championships in 1983. She ranked in the top 10 of the 100 m world rankings for twelve straight years, ranking first in six of those years...
challenged Marita Koch in indoor sprints. As a result, Marita Koch became one of the most successful runners over 50
50 metres
50 metres is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor athletics competitions it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes...
and 60 metres
60 metres
60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes...
, where she set many records between 1980 and 1985.
As a member of East Germany's relay teams, Koch set more world records. With a team led together with Göhr, they set new world records over 4 x 100 metres
4 x 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...
in 1979 and 1983. The same team, with Koch part of it, that won silver over 4 x 400 metres in the 1980 Olympic Games, set world records over the same distance in 1980, 1982 and 1984.
Koch also won the European Championships
European Championships in Athletics
The European Athletics Championships is an event organized by the European Athletic Association. It is organised every four years, the same year as the Commonwealth Games and between the Summer Olympic Games cycle. After the 2010 Championships in Barcelona, the European Championships will take...
at 400 metres in 1978, 1982 and 1986, before retiring in 1987 as one of Germany's most successful athletes. She remains the European record
European records in athletics
European records in the sport of athletics are ratified by the European Athletic Association. Records are kept for all events contested at the Olympic Games and some others. Unofficial records for some other events are kept by track and field statisticians...
holder over 200 metres.