1987 in the sport of athletics explained

1987 in athletics
Major World Competitions:
Previous:	1986
Next:	1988

This article contains an overview of the year 1987 in athletics.

International Events

• All-Africa Games
• Asian Championships
• Central American and Caribbean Championships
• European Indoor Championships
• Mediterranean Games
• Pan American Games
• World Championships
• World Indoor Championships
• World Cross Country Championships
• World Student Games

World records

Men

EVENT	ATHLETE	MARK	DATE	VENUE
2,000 metres		4:50.81	16 July	Paris
5,000 metres		12:58.39	22 July	Rome, Italy
High jump		2.42 m	30 June	Stockholm, Sweden
Pole vault		6.03 m	23 June	Prague, Czechoslovakia
Shot put		22.72m	12 August	Viareggio, Italy
	22.84m	12 August	Viareggio, Italy
	22.91m	12 August	Viareggio, Italy
Javelin (new)		87.66 m	31 May	Nitra, Czechoslovakia

Carl Lewis (USA) equalled the world record in the men's 100 metres held by countryman Calvin Smith since 1983-07-03, clocking 9.93 seconds on 1987-08-30 at the World Championships in Rome, Italy.

Women

EVENT	ATHLETE	MARK	DATE	VENUE
100m hurdles		12.25 s	8 August	Drama, Greece
High Jump		2.09 m	30 August	Rome, Italy
Shot put		22.60 m	7 June	Moscow, Soviet Union
		22.63 m	7 June	Moscow, Soviet Union
Javelin (old)		78.90 m	29 July	Leipzig, East Germany

Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) equalled the world record in the women's long jump held by East Germany's Heike Drechsler since 1986-06-21, jumping 7.45 metres on 1987-08-13 at a meet in Indianapolis.

Men's Best Year Performers

100 metres

Main race this year: World Championships 100 metres

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		9.931
2.		10.03
3.		10.04
4.		10.06
5.		10.07
-		10.07

200 metres

Main race this year: World Championships 200 metres

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		19.92
2.		19.95
3.		20.08
4.		20.10
5.		20.11

400 metres

Main race this year: World Championships 400 metres

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		44.10
2.		44.17
3.		44.33
4.		44.47
5.		44.50

800 metres

Main race this year: World Championships 800 metres

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		1:43.06
2.		1:43.41
-		1:43.76
4.		1:43.95
5.		1:44.09

1,500 metres

Main race this year: World Championships 1.500 metres

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		3:30.69
2.		3:31.43
3.		3:31.71
4.		3:33.01
5.		3:33.23

Mile

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		3:46.76
2.		3:50.08
3.		3:50.75
4.		3:50.82
5.		3:51.02

3,000 metres

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		7:40.25
2.		7:42.73
3.		7:42.93
4.		7:42.99
5.		7:43.13

5,000 metres

Main race this year: World Championships 5.000 metres

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		12:58.39
2.		13:10.48
3.		13:12.34
4.		13:12.49
5.		13:13.02

10,000 metres

Main race this year: World Championships 10.000 metres

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		27:26.95
2.		27:29.41
3.		27:34.38
4.		27:35.33
5.		27:38.63

Marathon

Main race this year: World Championships Marathon

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		2:08:18
2.		2:09:50
3.		2:10:09
4.		2:10:11
5.		2:10:15

110m hurdles

Main race this year: World Championships 110m hurdles

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		13.17
2.		13.19
3.		13.23
4.		13.29
-		13.29
-		13.29

400m hurdles

Main race this year: World Championships 400m hurdles

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		47.46
2.		47.48
-		47.48
4.		48.03
5.		48.15

3,000m steeplechase

Main race this year: World Championships 3.000m steeplechase

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		8:08.57
2.		8:10.32
3.		8:12.18
4.		8:12.80
5.		8:13.88

High jump

Main competition this year: World Championships High Jump

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	HEIGHT
1.		2.42
2.		2.38
-		2.38
4.		2.37
5.		2.36
-		2.36

Long jump

Main competition this year: World Championships Long Jump

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	DISTANCE
1.		8.86
2.		8.75
3.		8.66
4.		8.51
5.		8.43

Triple jump

Main competition this year: World Championships Triple Jump

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	DISTANCE
1.		17.92
2.		17.87
3.		17.77
4.		17.65
5.		17.61

Discus

Main competition this year: World Championships Discus Throw

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	DISTANCE
1.		69.52
2.		68.98
3.		68.30
4.		67.92
5.		67.80

Shot put

Main competition this year: World Championships Shot Put

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	DISTANCE
1.		22.91
2.		22.52
3.		22.47
4.		22.31
5.		22.01

Hammer

See main article: 1987 Hammer Throw Year Ranking.

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	DISTANCE
1.		83.48
2.		82.96
3.		82.24
4.		82.02
5.		82.00

Javelin (new design)

Main competition this year: World Championships Javelin Throw

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	DISTANCE
1.		87.66
2.		86.64
3.		85.24
4.		85.16
5.		84.30

Pole vault

Main competition this year: World Championships Pole Vault

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	HEIGHT
1.		6.03
2.		5.96
3.		5.90
4.		5.85
5.		5.83

Decathlon

Main competition this year: World Championships Decathlon

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	POINTS
1.		8680
2.		8645
3.		8375
4.		8359
5.		8340

Women's Best Year Performers

100 metres

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		10.86
-		10.86
3.		10.87
4.		10.93
5.		10.95

200 metres

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		21.74
2.		21.96
3.		22.01
4.		22.06
-		22.06

400 metres

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		49.38
2.		49.64
3.		49.87
4.		49.95
5.		49.96

800 metres

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		1:55.26
2.		1:55.32
3.		1:55.56
4.		1:55.84
5.		1:56.51

1,500 metres

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		3:58.56
2.		3:58.67
3.		3:59.27
4.		3:59.90
5.		4:00.07

Mile

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		4:24.05
2.		4:25.13
3.		4:25.77
4.		4:26.11
5.		4:26.70

3,000 metres

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		8:38.1
2.		8:38.5
3.		8:38.73
4.		8:39.28
5.		8:39.45

5,000 metres

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		15:01.08
2.		15:13.22
3.		15:19.76
4.		15:21.45
5.		15:23.48

10,000 metres

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		31:05.85
2.		31:09.40
3.		31:11.34
4.		31:18.38
5.		31:19.82

Marathon

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		2:22:48
2.		2:25:17
3.		2:25:24
4.		2:26:34
5.		2:26:51

100m hurdles

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		12.25
2.		12.33
3.		12.44
4.		12.45

400m hurdles

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		53.24
2.		53.58
3.		53.95
4.		54.23
5.		54.38

High Jump

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	HEIGHT
1.		2.09 m
2.		2.04 m
3.		2.01 m
4.		2.00 m
-		2.00 m
-		2.00 m

Long Jump

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	DISTANCE
1.		7.45 m
2.		7.40 m
3.		7.39 m
4.		7.27 m
5.		7.17 m

Shot put

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	DISTANCE
1.		22.63 m
2.		22.19 m
3.		21.34 m
4.		21.21 m
5.		21.20 m

Javelin (old design)

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	DISTANCE
1.		78.90
2.		76.64
3.		69.68
4.		69.60
5.		68.84

Heptathlon

RANK	1987 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	POINTS
1.		7128
2.		6692
3.		6585
4.		6564
5.		6533

Births

• January 1 - Rytis Sakalauskas, Lithuanian sprinter
• January 17 - Svetlana Radzivil, Uzbekistani high jumper
• January 27 - Liliya Kulyk, Ukrainian triple jumper
• March 5 - Vitalij Kozlov, Lithuanian middle-distance runner
• April 17 - Atsede Baysa, Ethiopian long-distance runner
• April 24 - Franklin Nazareno, Ecuadorian sprinter
• July 14 - Margus Hunt, Estonian discus thrower
• July 22 - Hugo Chila, Ecuadorian long jumper and triple jumper
• August 9 - Marek Niit, Estonian sprinter
• September 1 - Leonel Suárez, Cuban decathlete
• September 13 - Vincent Kipruto, Kenyan long-distance runner
• October 3 - Ancuța Bobocel, Romanian long-distance runner
• November 1 - Jimmy Adar, Ugandan middle-distance runner
• November 17 - Nadiya Dusanova, Uzbekistani high jumper
• December 1 - Tabarie Henry, United States Virgin Islands sprinter
• December 21 - Denis Alekseyev, Russian sprinter

Deaths

• March 17 — Georg Lammers (81), German athlete (b. 1905)
• October 20 — Jerzy Chromik (56), Polish long-distance runner (b. 1931)

References

• Year Lists
• 1987 Year Rankings
• Association of Road Racing Statisticians