World Cup Track and Field Meet : Banks Listens to Tapes, Sets Meet Mark in Triple Jump

World record-holder Willie Banks, buoyed by his musical tapes and an enthusiastic crowd, won the triple jump Friday with a World Cup-record leap of 57 feet 8 inches.

Banks threatened to withdraw if he could not listen to music while he performed.

Each time Banks appeared at the top of the runway, the crowd, estimated at 11,000 in the National Athletics Stadium, responded with rhythmic clapping. As Banks raced toward the pit, the clapping intensified.

After his best jump, on his second attempt, Banks punched his right fist into the air, waved and blew kisses to the crowd. When the event was completed, Banks signalled to the crowd, with one finger of each hand, that he was No. 1, and did a back flip on the runway.

“For many years, I’ve been trying to be No. 1--in the world championships, the Olympic Games and the World Cup. This is my first one (title),” said Banks.

His winning jump easily surpassed the meet record of 57-0 set in 1981 by Joao de Oliveira of Brazil, winner of the first three World Cup long jump titles.

Oliveira also held the world record of 58-8 1/2 until Banks went 58-11 1/2 in June.

Banks was upset Thursday when the International Amateur Athletic Federation, the world governing body of track and field, ruled that he could not bring his tape player with him while competing. But the IAAF rescinded its ruling Friday.

Banks’ performance was one of six World Cup records broken Friday, the first day of the three-day meet.

The other record-breakers were Canada’s Ben Johnson in the men’s 100-meter dash with a clocking of 10 seconds flat, Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova in the women’s high jump at 6-6 3/4, East Germany’s Sabine Busch in the women’s 400-meter intermediate hurdles with a time of 54.45 seconds, the Soviet Union’s Georgy Kolnootchenko in the men’s discus at 226-8 and the East German women’s 1,600-meter relay team with a time of 3:19.20.

Marita Koch, who anchored East Germany’s relay team, also won the women’s 200 in 21.91.