World Cup Meet : Koch Sets World 400 Record

Marita Koch of East Germany regained the world record in the women’s 400-meter dash Sunday with a blazing time of 47.60 seconds on the final day of the World Cup track and field meet.

Koch’s time bettered the previous record of 47.99 held by Jarmila Kratochvilova of Czechoslovakia. Koch, 28, had set the mark in 1982 but lost it to Kratochvilova a year later.

Meanwhile, the United States men’s team, getting fine performances by 400-meter runner Michael Franks and its 400-meter relay team, took a one-point lead over the Soviet Union into the third day of the three-day meet.

The victories Saturday by Franks, in 44.47 seconds, and the relay team, in 38.10, the fastest times in the world this year, boosted the U.S. men’s point total to 86.

The Americans had a point taken away when meet officials dropped Kirk Baptiste from third to fourth in the 100-meter dash Friday.

While the performances by Franks and the relay team excited the Saturday crowd at the National Athletics Stadium, two women’s events--the 10,000-meter race and the 100-meter high hurdles--also caused a stir.

In the 10,000, the Soviet Union’s Olga Bondarenko, the former world record-holder, misjudged the number of laps and, instead of winning, finished third.

In the hurdles, three decisions were announced before Cornelia Oschkenat of East Germany was declared the winner over Ginka Zagortcheva of Bulgaria.

Sergei Bubka, the world record-holder from the Soviet Union, broke the World Cup pole vault record, clearing 19 feet 2 inches, then made three unsuccessful attempts at 19-8 3/4, one-half inch above his world mark.

In addition to the marks by Bubka, Franks and Cunha, two other World Cup records were broken Saturday. World record-holder Ulf Timmerman of East Germany won the men’s shotput at 72-2, and the Soviet Union’s Yuri Tamm won the hammer throw at 269-5.

Julius Kariuki of Kenya handed American record-holder Henry Marsh his first defeat of the year in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, winning in 8:39.61.

Also, Omar Khalifa of Sudan took the men’s 1,500 meters in 3:41.16 as favorite Jose Abascal of Spain finished fourth, and Michael Conley of the United States celebrated his 23rd birthday, winning the men’s long jump at 26-11.

East Germany was well on its way toward winning its third straight women’s title, leading with 81 points. The Soviet Union was second with 70 1/2.