INDIAN POLIS Reiter: Heike Drechsler, potentially the world’s greatest woman athlete, opened her bid for double gold with a 7.03 meters long jump on the second day of the World Indoor Athletics Championships, The 22yearast German planted her left foot squarely on the takeoff board to soar into the first round lead at the start of a busy afternoon for her.

Drechsler, the only competitor here with a realistic chance of claiming two gold ‘medals, was due to compete in the 200 meters final later after totally outclassing the rest of the field,

The outdoor 200 meters joint world record holder swept to an emphatic semifinal win in 22.84 seconds easing down over the last 20 meters.

That performance sent the odds on her relieving retired compatriot Marita Koch of her 22.39 second indoor world record tumbling dramatically:

Article extracted from this publication >>  March 13, 1987