The stage is set for Tokyo to take the World Athletics Championships back to the future in the historic surroundings of the Japan National Stadium.
The World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, which runs from 13 to 21 September, affords the track and field stars of today the opportunity to draw upon the inspiration of the trailblazing 1991 World Athletics Championships in the same iconic arena to provide an enduring legacy of their own.
Overview of the 1991 World Athletics Championships
The stellar likes of Mondo Duplantis, Faith Kipyegon, Noah Lyles and Haruka Kitaguchi will be striving to build on the huge success of the last World Athletics Championships, in Budapest in 2023, by emulating the deeds of some of the all-time greats of athletics in Japan’s capital city 34 years ago.
The World Athletics Championships was a quadrennial event until the stunning success of the Tokyo 1991 edition, which attracted a record number of 1491 athletes from a record 162 countries to the Tokyo athletics stadium – then known as the Olympic Stadium – between 23 August and 1 September.
Iconic moments and performances
In the renovated arena that staged the Olympic Games in 1964, US long jumper Mike Powell, his mega-talented compatriot Carl Lewis, and Japanese marathon man Hiromi Taniguchi emerged as the stars of a championships still regarded by many as the greatest ever.
The duel for long jump supremacy between Powell and Lewis remains unmatched in track and field history.
Unbeaten in the discipline since he was 19, on a run of 65 victories in 10 and a half years, the 30-year-old Lewis produced wind-assisted marks of 8.83m and 8.91m before Powell uncorked the legal fifth round jump of 8.95m that eclipsed Bob Beamon’s epic 8.90m world record, set at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.
Lewis responded with the two best legal efforts of his career, 8.87m and 8.84m, but had to settle for the silver medal behind his inspired US teammate.
“I thought Carl would come from behind and beat me with a nine-metre jump,” said a stunned Powell, who had lost his previous 15 contests against Lewis. “He’s a great athlete and a great competitor.”
Lewis showed his true greatness in a stunning 100m final, coming from behind to not just snatch victory from Leroy Burrell but also the world record from his compatriot and Santa Monica Track Club colleague.
Lewis’ spectacular finish earned him his third successive 100m world title in 9.86, 0.04 inside Burrell’s global mark. Burrell was also inside his old record, clocking 9.88 as runner up.
The pair teamed up in the 4x100m relay – Burrell on the second leg, Lewis on anchor duty – as the US quartet stormed to victory ahead of France in a world record of 37.87.
Taniguchi produced the finest race of his life to provide a golden finale for the host nation on the closing day.
Hiromi Taniguchi in the marathon at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo (© Getty Images)
Following a meticulous plan he had scripted to deal with the early morning 26°C heat and 73% humidity, the 31-year-old gritted his teeth and pulled clear of his rivals on an uphill slope at the 38km mark.
“I followed my script and made it to the goal,” said Taniguchi, who finished in 2:14:57 – 29 seconds ahead of runner-up Ahmed Saleh of Djibouti. “My heart filled with joy when I crossed the line.”
Technology innovations
Tokyo 1991 was a momentous World Championships in many respects.
A newly developed chipless urethane track was a hugely popular innovation with the athletes, and undoubtedly a contributing factor to the trio of world record performances.
Reaction times were also displayed for the first time, together with photo finish images on giant jumbotron screens.
Legacy and impact
The 1991 World Athletics Championships was the first to feature a combined German team, following the unification of east and west, Heike Henkel producing a stand-out performance with a 2.05m clearance to win the women’s high jump.
Tokyo 1991 also witnessed the final appearance of the Soviet Union, Sergey Bubka winning a third pole vault gold medal – before proceeding to claim three more for Ukraine.
The globalisation of the sport gathered momentum, African athletes claiming 17 medals, including gold for Zambia’s Samuel Matete in the men’s 400m hurdles.
In all, 29 countries won medals, prompting Robert Pareinte, editor of the French sport daily newspaper L’Equipe, to proclaim: “Never before has athletics shown such a universal face and worldwide distribution of medals.”
A total attendance of 581,462 surpassed that of the previous two championships, in Helsinki in 1983 and Rome in 1987. Tokyo was such an overwhelming success that the World Athletics Championships was staged every two years thereafter.
World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25
The World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 will give more than 2000 athletes from 200 countries the chance to shine inside a packed Japanese National Stadium – three years after the delayed Olympic Games were held in front of empty stands, due to pandemic restrictions.
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics
AloJapan.com