This article contains an overview of the year 1984 in the

sport of athletics Athletics is a group of sporting events that involves competitive running, jumping, throwing sports, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and racewalking ...

International Events

African Championships An African Championship is a top level international sports competition between African athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs. List of Championships ;Athletics *African Championships in Ath ...

Rabat, Morocco Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populatio ...

Balkan Games The Balkan Athletics Championships or Balkan Games () is a regional athletics competition held between nations from the Balkans and organized by Balkan Athletics. The first games were held in Athens in 1929, and the most recent were being held in ...

Athens, Greece Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

European Indoor Championships The European Indoor Championships was a men's tennis tournament played in Berlin, Germany. The event was played as part of the ATP Tour in 1990 and 1991. It was played on indoor carpet courts. Finals Singles Doubles See also * Berlin Open ...

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

, Sweden *

World Cross Country Championships World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the Int ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States *

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, United States

World records

Men

Women

*''

Marita Koch Marita Koch (later Meier-Koch; born 18 February 1957) is a German former sprint track and field athlete. During her career she collected 16 world records in outdoor sprints as well as 14 world records in indoor events. Her record of 47.60 in th ...

(GDR) equals her own world record in the women's

200 metres The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...

held since 1979-06-10, clocking 21.71 seconds on 1984-07-21 at a meet in

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

.''

Men's Best Year Performers

100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 100 metres''

200 metres The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 200 metres''

400 metres The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics (sport), athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor runn ...

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 400 metres''

800 metres The 800 metres, or meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event since the ...

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 800 metres''

1,500 metres

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 1,500 metres''

5,000 metres The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a stand ...

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 5,000 metres''

10,000 metres The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship level events. The race ...

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 10,000 metres''

Half Marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcu ...

110m Hurdles The 110 metres hurdles, or 110-metre hurdles, is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is included in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metres hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten hurd ...

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 110m Hurdles''

400m Hurdles The 400 metres hurdles is a track and field hurdling event. The event has been on the Summer Olympics, Olympic athletics (sport), athletics programme since 1900 Summer Olympics, 1900 for men and since 1984 Summer Olympics, 1984 for women. On a s ...

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 400m Hurdles''

3,000m Steeplechase

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 3,000m Steeplechase''

High Jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...

:''Main competition this year: Olympic Games High Jump''

Long Jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...

:''Main competition this year: Olympic Games Long Jump''

Triple Jump The triple jump, sometimes referred to as the hop, step and jump or the hop, skip and jump, is a track and field event, similar to the long jump. As a group, the two events are referred to as the "horizontal jumps". The competitor runs down th ...

:''Main competition this year: Olympic Games Triple Jump''

Discus

:''Main competition this year: Olympic Games Discus Throw''

Hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as w ...

Shot Put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...

:''Main competition this year: Olympic Games Shot Put''

Javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with th ...

:''Main competition this year: Olympic Games Javelin Throw''

Pole Vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the Myc ...

:''Main competition this year: Olympic Games Pole Vault''

Decathlon The decathlon is a combined event in Athletics (sport), athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek language, Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ...

:''Main competition this year: Olympic Games Decathlon''

Women's Best Year Performers

100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 100 metres''

200 metres The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 200 metres''

400 metres The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics (sport), athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor runn ...

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 400 metres''

800 metres The 800 metres, or meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event since the ...

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 800 metres''

1,500 metres

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 1,500 metres''

Mile The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 English ...

3,000 metres

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 3,000 metres''

5,000 metres The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a stand ...

10,000 metres The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship level events. The race ...

Half Marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcu ...

100m Hurdles The 100 metres hurdles, or 100-meter hurdles, is a track and field event run mainly by women (the male counterpart is the 110 metres hurdles). For the race, ten hurdles of a height of are placed along a straight course of . The first hurdle is p ...

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 100m Hurdles''

400m Hurdles The 400 metres hurdles is a track and field hurdling event. The event has been on the Summer Olympics, Olympic athletics (sport), athletics programme since 1900 Summer Olympics, 1900 for men and since 1984 Summer Olympics, 1984 for women. On a s ...

:''Main race this year: Olympic Games 400m Hurdles''

High Jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...

:''Main competition this year: Olympic Games High Jump''

Long Jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...

:''Main competition this year: Olympic Games Long Jump''

Discus

:''Main competition this year: Olympic Games Discus Throw''

Shot Put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...

:''Main competition this year: Olympic Games Shot Put''

Javelin (old design)

:''Main competition this year: Olympic Games Javelin Throw''

Heptathlon A heptathlon is a track and field combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek επτά (hepta, meaning "seven") and ἄθλος (áthlos, or ἄθλον, áthlon, meaning "competition"). A competitor in a hept ...

:''Main competition this year: Olympic Games Heptathlon''

Marathon

Year Rankings

Men

Women

International Races

Births

January

* January 9 —

Firehiwot Dado Firehiwot Tufa Dado (born January 9, 1984 in Assela, Arsi) is a female long-distance runner from Ethiopia, who won the New York City Marathon in 2011 with a personal best time of 2:23:15 hours. She also took three consecutive victories in the R ...

, Ethiopian long-distance runner * January 10 —

Solomon Busendich Solomon Naibei Busendich (born January 10, 1984, in Mount Elgon) is a male long-distance runner from Kenya, who won the 2006 edition of the Amsterdam Marathon as a debutant, clocking 2:08:52 hours. Biography He won his first international title ...

, Kenyan long-distance runner * January 14 —

Teemu Wirkkala Teemu Sakari Wirkkala (born January 14, 1984, in Kokkola) is a Finnish javelin thrower. His personal best throw is 87.23 metres, achieved in July 2009 in Joensuu Joensuu (; krl, Jovensuu; ) is a city and municipality in North Karelia, Finland ...

, Finnish javelin thrower * January 16 — Yuki Yamazaki, Japanese race walker * January 19 —

Jarkko Kinnunen Jarkko Juhani Kinnunen (born 19 January 1984 in Jalasjärvi) is a Finnish race walker Racewalking, or race walking, is a long-distance discipline within the sport of athletics. Although a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot ...

, Finnish race walker * January 20 —

Andriy Yurin Andriy Yurin (born 20 January 1984 in Kiev Oblast, Soviet Union) is a Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating ...

, Ukrainian race walker

February

* February 13 — Eric Matthias, British Virgin Islands discus thrower * February 20 —

Zhu Xiaolin Zhu Xiaolin (born 20 February 1984) is a female Chinese long-distance runner, who specialises in marathons. She has won the Xiamen International Marathon and was third at the 2010 Rotterdam Marathon. She represented China at the 2008 Beijing Ol ...

, Chinese long-distance runner * February 22 — Yuki Yamaguchi, Japanese sprinter * February 25 —

Xing Huina Xing Huina (; born February 25, 1984, in Hanting, Weifang, Shandong) is a former Chinese track and field athlete. In a relatively short elite career that effectively ended before the age of 25, her most significant achievement was to win ...

, Chinese athlete

March

* March 24 —

Lucy Kabuu Lucy Wangui Kabuu (born 24 March 1984) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specializes in the 5000 and 10,000 metres events. She has represented Kenya twice at the Summer Olympics, finishing in the top ten of the 10,000 m race in both 200 ...

, Kenyan long distance runner * March 24 —

Jacopo Marin Jacopo Marin (born 24 March 1984 in Grado) is a former male sprinter from Italy who specialized in the 400 metres. Biography His personal best time is 46.99 seconds, achieved in Velenje (Slovenia). He won a gold medal in the 4 x 400 metres rel ...

, Italian sprinter * March 27 — Roman Valiyev, Kazakhstani triple jumper * March 31 —

Anna Pierce Anna Willard (born March 31, 1984) is an American middle distance runner. Personal Willard grew up on a farm in Greenwood, Maine. She took up running as a high school student at Telstar High School in Bethel, Maine. She competed as an undergra ...

, American middle distance runner

April

* April 2 —

Germán Lauro Germán Luján Lauro (born 2 April 1984) is an Argentine shot putter and discus thrower. He is the South American record holder in the shot put both indoors and outdoors with marks of 21.04 m and 21.26 m, respectively. His personal b ...

, Argentine shot putter * April 17 — Pavel Kryvitski, Belarusian hammer thrower * April 19 —

Martin Marić Martin Marić (born 19 April 1984) is a Croatian track and field athlete who competes in the discus throw. He has a personal best of , achieved in April 2014 in Chula Vista, California. He also has in the javelin throw, achieved in May 2006. Ma ...

, Croatian discus thrower * April 26 — Petrina Price, Australian high jumper * April 30 —

Yevhen Vynohradov Yevhen Valeriyovych Vynohradov ( uk, Євген Валерійович Виноградов; born 30 April 1984 in Vasylkiv) is a Ukrainian hammer thrower. He was born in the Kyiv Oblast, in the Ukrainian republic of the Soviet Union. His personal ...

, Ukrainian hammer thrower

May

* May 1 — Louis Tristán, Peruvian long jumper * May 8 —

Andreas Mokdasi Andreas Mokdasi (born 8 May 1984) is a Swedish sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres. He finished fourth in 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships, with teammates Joni Jaako, Johan Wissman and Mattias Claesson. ...

, Swedish sprinter * May 10 —

Alana Boyd Alana Quade ( Boyd, born 10 May 1984) is a former Australian pole vaulter and Olympian. Athletic career The 2008 Australian Champion, Boyd was selected for the 2007 World Championships, but did not make the final. She did not make the fina ...

, Australian pole vaulter

June

* June 17 —

Michael Mathieu Michael Mathieu (born 24 June 1984) is a retired Bahamian sprinter from Freeport, Grand Bahama who specialized in the 200 metres and 400 metres. He was part of the Bahamian silver medal-winning team in the men's 4×400 metres relay at the 20 ...

, Bahamian sprinter * June 30 —

Gretchen Quintana Gretchen Quintana Cordero (also ''Grechin Quintana''; born June 30, 1984 in San Cristóbal, Pinar del Río) is a female heptathlete from Cuba, who competed for her native country at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Personal bests *Heptathlon: 6076 ...

, Cuban heptathlete

July

* July 7 —

Inna Poluškina Inna Poluškina (born 7 July 1984, in Riga) is a Latvian long-distance runner who specialises in the 3000 metres. Biography Poluškina has won championships in the 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m, 10,000 m and half marathon A half marathon is a road r ...

, Latvian long-distance runner * July 8 —

Mariem Alaoui Selsouli Mariem Alaoui Selsouli ( ar, مريم علوي سلسولي, born July 8, 1984) is a Moroccan middle- and long-distance runner. She was born in Marrakech. At the 2009 World Athletics Final in Berlin, Selsouli withdrew from the 1500m final aft ...

, Moroccan middle/long-distance runner * July 9 —

Olusoji Fasuba Olusoji Adetokunbo Fasuba (born 9 July 1984) is a Nigerian sprinter who specializes in the 100 metres.

, Nigerian sprinter * July 22 — He Dan, Chinese race walker * July 25 —

Javier Culson Javier Culson Pérez (born 25 July 1984) is a Puerto Rican athlete and Olympiad bronze medalist who specialises in the 400-metre hurdles. After becoming involved with the discipline in his late teen years, he entered the podium in some regiona ...

, Puerto Rican hurdler * July 26 —

Kyriakos Ioannou Kyriakos Ioannou ( el, Κυριάκος Ιωάννου, born 26 July 1984) is a Cypriot high jumper. He has twice won medals at the World Championships in Athletics (2007 and 2009) and was the bronze medallist at the IAAF World Indoor Champions ...

, Cypriot high jumper

August

* August 4 —

Xing Shucai Xing Shucai (born 4 August 1984) is a Chinese race walker. Born in Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (a ...

, Chinese race walker

September

* September 3 — David Fiegen, Luxembourgian middle distance runner * September 9 —

Andrey Silnov Andrey Alexandrovich Silnov (russian: Андрей Александрович Сильнов; born 9 September 1984) is a Russian high jumper and the 2008 Olympic champion. Born in Shakhty, Rostov Oblast, he is 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) and weighs ...

, Russian high jumper * September 10 —

Ismail Ahmed Ismail Ismail Ahmed Ismail (born 1 November 1984) is a Sudanese sprinter who represents Sudan in 800 metres. He was born in Khartoum. Ismail reached the final in that event at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ...

, Sudanese runner * September 26 —

Michael Letterlough Michael Letterlough (born 26 September 1984) is a Caymanian track and field athlete competing in the hammer throw. After graduating from John Gray High School on Grand Cayman, Letterlough attended Florida International University in ...

, Caymanian hammer thrower

October

* October 6 —

Adina Anton Adina Anton (born 6 October 1984 in Piteşti, Argeş) is a retired Romanian long jumper. She finished 5th in the long jump final at the 2006 European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg. Anton was the 2002 World Junior champion and also compet ...

, Romanian long jumper * October 14 — Svetlana Bolshakova, Russian-born Belgian triple jumper * October 24 —

Christian Reif Christian Reif (born 24 October 1984 in Speyer) is a retired German long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Alo ...

, German long jumper. * October 24 — Sultana Frizell, Canadian hammer thrower * October 28 —

Anyika Onuora Anyika Onuora (born 28 October 1984) is a retired British sprint track and field athlete who competed in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres, and also the 4×100 metres relay and 4x400 metres relay. Specialising in the short sprints an ...

, British sprinter

November

* November 10 — Andrej Poljanec, Slovenian pole vaulter * November 12 —

Siraj Gena Siraj Amda Gena, also known as Giday Amha and Siraj Amda Bene, (born 12 November 1984) is an Ethiopian long distance runner who specialises in the marathon. He won his first race in 2010, beating all-comers at the Rome City Marathon to set a person ...

, Ethiopian long-distance runner

December

* December 15 —

Véronique Mang Véronique Ngo Mang (born December 15, 1984) is a track and field sprint athlete, competing internationally for France. Biography She arrived in France with her mother, brother and sister in 1995. She represented Cameroon until 2003 when she gai ...

, Cameroon-born French athlete * December 26 —

Alex Schwazer Alex Schwazer, OMRI (born 26 December 1984), is an Italian race walker. He was the 2008 Olympic 50k walk champion. He retired during the 2012 Olympics after being disqualified for doping offences. Biography Schwazer was born in Sterzing, South ...

, Italian race walker * December 28 —

Kimberley Mickle Kimberley Mickle (born 28 December 1984) is an Australian track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw. Her personal best of 66.83 m, achieved on 22 March 2014 in Melbourne, was, until 2018, the Australian record. Biography She w ...

, Australian javelin thrower * December 31 —

Mohamed Faraj Al-Kaabi Mohamed Faraj Al-Kaabi (born 31 December 1984 in Qatar) is a male hammer thrower from Qatar. His personal best throw is 70.87 metres, achieved in April 2003 in Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city a ...

, Qatari hammer thrower

Deaths

*January 10 —

Toivo Loukola Toivo Aarne Loukola (2 October 1902 – 10 January 1984) was a Finnish male runner, winner of the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. Loukola set an unofficial world record in the steeplechase just a month before the Olympics ...

(81), Finnish athlete (b. 1902) *March 15 — Ken Carpenter (70), American discus thrower (b. 1913) *June 1 —

Sten Pettersson Sten Karl Leopold "Sten-Pelle" Pettersson (11 September 1902 – 1 June 1984) was a Swedish track and field athlete who competed in sprint and hurdling Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the ea ...

(81), Swedish hurdler (b. 1902)

References

Association of Road Racing Statisticians

{{DEFAULTSORT:1984 In Athletics (Track And Field) Athletics (track and field) by year