It's well known that many athletics' world records set in the 1970s and 1980s were fuelled by illegitimate means. In particular, athletes from the Soviet Union and an assortment of eastern European countries achieved results that were not matched for many, many years, if they ever have been. It's certainly true that athletes from other parts of the world also used doubtful methods to achieve their aims and there has to be a doubt over many of the performances from that period.
Currently, there are a number of world records for women which date back to the 1980s :
100m - Florence Griffith-Joyner - USA - 1988
200m - Florence Griffith-Joyner - USA - 1988
400m - Marita Koch - East Germany - 1985
800m - Jarmila Kratochvilova - Czechoslovakia - 1983
High Jump - Stefka Kostadinova - Bulgaria - 1987
Long Jump - Galina Chistyakova - Soviet Union - 1988
Shot Put - Natalya Lisovskaya - Soviet Union - 1987
Discus - Gabriele Reinsch - East Germany - 1988
Heptathlon - Jackie Joyner-Kersee - USA - 1988
4 x 400m Relay - Soviet Union - 1988
There's also a 3000m record of dubious nature which dates back to 1993 and is held by a Chinese athlete, records for the 1000m and Mile set by Russia's Svetlana Masterkova in 1996. Other more recent records have been thrown into doubt by the improved drug testing methods now available and a significant number of athletes previously thought to be 'clean' have been found to have been using illicit methods to achieve records and medals.
Men's records have tended to be rewritten more frequently, however, there remain two that have survived since the 1980s :
Discus - Jurgen Schult - East Germany - 1986
Hammer - Yuriy Sedykh - Soviet Union - 1986
In addition, a number date back to the 1990s, including :
1500m - Hicham el Guerrouj - Morocco - 1998
One Mile - Hicham el Guerrouj - Morocco - 1999
400m Hurdles - Kevin Young - USA - 1992,
High Jump - Javier Sotomayor - Cuba - 1993 *
Long Jump - Mike Powell - USA - 1991
Triple Jump - Jonathan Edwards - UK - 1995
Shot put - Randy Barnes - USA - 1990 *
Javelin - Jan Zelezny - Czech Republic - 1996
4 x 400m Relay - USA - 1993
* Known drug cheats
As with the women's records, there have been more recent dubious entries and some athletes have been 'caught out' by improved testing methods though it seems that fewer high-profile men than women have fallen foul of these.
It has to be recognized that longevity does not, of itself, indicate anything untoward and many of these records may well be perfectly valid. However, it's also the case that there is clear evidence that at least some of the record holders were using illicit drugs or other methods for enhancing their performances and there have been well-publicized cases of supposedly 'clean' athletes being shown to be cheating; high profile examples include Ben Johnson, Marion Jones, Butch Reynolds, Asafa Powell, Justin Gatlin, Dwain Chambers, Linford Christie and Tyson Gay, but there have been many hundreds more. Others from the 1970s and 1980s, such as Al Oerter, Heike Drechsler and Ruth Fuchs, have made self-admissions, making it evermore clear that drug taking in athletics has been endemic for many years.
As a possible way of dealing with the anomalies that drug taking has caused, it's now being suggested that all records set before 2005 should be expunged. It appears that the proposal has gained favour with the IAAF but been less well received by some of the athletes whose records my disappear, such as Mike Powell and Paula Radcliffe. Thinking about it, I have to say that I come down on the side of Powell and Radcliffe and against what is, after all, a sledgehammer approach to the issue.
Expunging all records set before any particular date makes little sense and raises many questions. 2005 has been suggested as this is from when test samples began to be kept, but should the validity of all records really be dependent on an administrative change ? If world records are to be reset, will that also apply to national, continental and Olympic records ? Will the medals awarded at national and international competitions, including the Olympics, be rescinded ? Will lists of World and Olympic champions be withdrawn ? To date, athletes have only suffered post-event disqualifications if found to have been in breach of the rules at the time of the relevant event through the subsequent testing of a sample taken at or near the relevant time. To effectively disqualify athletes for no other reason than that they competed before 2005 would be ridiculous.
That athletics has a drugs' problem is a sad fact, but the proposed approach is not right. By all means introduce a new set of records starting in 2005, but let it sit alongside the existing set, not replace it altogether. Allied to much more stringent testing and the very severest penalties for athletes, coaches and national associations, the problem may gradually be overcome, while tinkering with past performances and records will achieve nothing whatsoever.
Ban cheating athletes AND their coaches for 5 years for a first offence and life for a second; fine their national associations $10m for every athlete caught cheating. Any association that doesn't pay should have an automatic ban, covering all of their registered athletes, from all international competition until they comply. Forget tinkering with records, bring in some real punishments for the cheats who are threatening to destroy the sport.
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