Sweden’s Sjoberg Sets High Jump Record at 7-11

Sweden’s Patrik Sjoberg smashed the world high jump record Tuesday by clearing 7 feet 11 inches on his third and final attempt at an international track and field meet.

The 6-foot 6-inch Swede, who improved by one-half inch the mark set by Igor Paklin of the Soviet Union, just missed on his first two tries. Sjoberg also holds the world indoor mark.

Paklin had set the record of 7-10 3/4 at the World University Games in Kobe, Japan, Sept. 4, 1985.

“I don’t know what I would have done had I failed on my final attempt today,” Sjoberg said. “The two first were awfully close.”

The hometown favorite ran a lap of honor afterward and several hundred fans spilled onto the grounds, waving Swedish flags.

It was the 67th world record set at the Olympic Stadium, more than at any other site. The field event facilities and the crowds at Olympic Stadium are considered especially conducive to world record performances.

Jan Zvara of Czechoslovakia jumped 7-5 3/4 for second place. American Jerome Carter, who cleared the same height, was third. Jake Jacoby, another American, was sixth at 7-4.

Francesco Panetta of Italy, running alone in the last 2 1/2 miles, clocked the fastest time of the year in the 10,000 meters.

Panetta won the race in 27 minutes 26.95 seconds. It was almost 18 seconds faster than his personal record and a national record.

Panetta, who had been among the leaders from the outset, moved into first place for good with slightly less than four miles to go when he broke away from American Mark Nenow.

Nenow, the American record-holder and third fastest all time with 27:20.56, finished second in 27:48.94.

American winners at the track and field meet included Floyd Heard in the 200 meters and Tonie Campbell in the 110-meter hurdles.

Heard, ranked No. 1 in the world last year in the 200, won in 20.49 seconds, just beating Brazil’s Robson da Silva, who was timed in 20.51.

Campbell, the world indoor champion, won in 13.68.

Sergei Bubka of the Soviet Union, who improved his pole vault world record to 19-9 at Prague, Czechoslovakia, a week ago, failed to clear his opening height of 18-6 1/2.

Atanas Tarev of Bulgaria won the pole vault at 18-0 1/2. Runner-up Doug Fraley of the United States, who competes for Fresno State, and third-place finisher Vasily Bubka--Sergei’s brother--cleared the same height.

Briton Steve Cram, the world record-holder in the mile, unleashed a powerful kick in the final 200 meters to win the 1,000-meters in 2:16.19. It was an Olympic Stadium record but well off fellow-Briton Sebastian Coe’s world standard of 2:12.18.

Kenya’s Billy Konchellah was second in the 1,000 in 2:17.21 and Jose Luis Barbosa of Brazil finished third in 2:17.72.

Another Brazilian, Olympic 800-meter champion Joaquim Cruz, was only 10th in the 1,500 meters. It was his first big race after being sidelined last year with an injury.

Cruz, who had two Achilles’ tendon operations last year, clocked 3:40.05. Abdi Bile of Somalia won the race in 3:35.77. Markus Hacksteiner of Switzerland was second in 3:36.86.

Mike Hill of Britain produced the best-ever series of throws with the new javelin, winning the event with a toss of 279 feet 8 inches.

WORLD RECORD PROGRESSION

Mark Name Country Year 7-0 1/2 Charlie Dumas United States 1956 7-1 Yuri Styepanov USSR 1957 7-1 1/2 John Thomas United States 1960 7-1 3/4 John Thomas United States 1960 7-3 3/4 John Thomas United States 1960 7-3 3/4 Valeriy Brumel USSR 1961 7-4 Valeriy Brumel USSR 1961 7-4 1/2 Valeriy Brumel USSR 1961 7-5 Valeriy Brumel USSR 1961 7-5 Valeriy Brumel USSR 1962 7-5 Valeriy Brumel USSR 1962 7-5 3/4 Valeriy Brumel USSR 1963 7-6 Ni Chihchin China 1970 7-6 Pat Matzdorf United States 1971 7-6 Dwight Stones United States 1973 7-7 Dwight Stones United States 1976 7-7 Dwight Stones United States 1977 7-7 3/4 Vladimir Yashchenko USSR 1977 7-8 Vladimir Yashchenko USSR 1978 7-8 1/2 Jacek Wszola Poland 1980 7-8 1/2 Dietmar Mogenburg West Germany 1980 7-8 3/4 Gerd Wessig East Germany 1980 7-9 Zhu Jianhua China 1983 7-9 3/4 Zhu Jianhua China 1983 7-10 Zhu Jianhua China 1984 7-10 1/2 Rudolf Povarnitsin USSR 1985 7-10 3/4 Igor Paklin USSR 1985 7-11 Patrik Sjoberg USSR 1987

ALL-TIME LIST

Mark Name Country Year 7-11 Patrik Sjoberg Sweden 1987 7-10 3/4 Igor Paklin USSR 1985 7-10 1/2 Rudolf Povarnitsin USSR 1985 7-10 Zhu Jianhua China 1984 7-9 Valeriy Sereda USSR 1984 7-9 Carlo Thranhardt West Germany 1984 7-8 3/4 Gerd Wessig East Germany 1980 7-8 3/4 Sergei Zasimovich USSR 1984 7-8 3/4 Dietmar Mogenburg West Germany 1984 7-8 3/4 Eddy Annys Belgium 1985 7-8 3/4 Javier Sotomayor Cuba 1986 7-8 3/4 Jim Howard United States 1987 7-8 1/2 Jacek Wszola Poland 1980 7-8 1/2 Sorin Matei Romania 1985 7-8 1/2 Gennadiy Avdeyenko USSR 1985 7-8 1/2 Jan Zvara Czchoslovakia 1985 7-8 Valdimir Yashchenko USSR 1978 7-8 Paul Frommeyer West Germany 1982 7-8 Dwight Stones United States 1984 7-8 Dennis Lewis United States 1985 7-8 Jerome Carter United States 1986 7-8 Doug Nordquist United States 1986