This article contains an overview of the year 1982 in

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...

International Events

African Championships An African Championship is a top level international sports competition between Africa, African athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports club, sports clubs. List of championships ;Athletics * African ...

Asian Games The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years for athletes of Asia. The Games were regulated by Asian Games Federation from the 1951 Asian Games, first Games in New Delhi, India in 1951, until ...

Central American and Caribbean Championships The Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Championships was an international track and field athletics event organised by the Central American and Caribbean Athletic Confederation (CACAC), held once every two years from 1967 to 2013. Only athlete ...

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games is a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, which consists mostly, but not exclusively, of territories of the former British Empire. The event was first held in 1930 ...

European Championships A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs. In the plural, the European Championships also refers t ...

European Indoor Championships The European Indoor Championships was a men's tennis tournament played in Berlin, Germany. The event was played as part of the ATP Tour in 1990 and 1991. It was played on indoor carpet court A carpet court is a type of tennis court. The Intern ...

World Cross Country Championships World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the In ...

World records

Men

Women

*''

Marlies Göhr Marlies Göhr ( Oelsner, born 21 March 1958 in Gera) is a former East German track and field athlete, the winner of the 100 metres at the inaugural World Championships in 1983. She ranked in the top 10 of the 100 m world rankings for twe ...

(GDR) equals her own world record in the women's

100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at ...

, clocking 10.88 seconds on 1982-07-06 at a meet in

Karl-Marx-Stadt Chemnitz (; from 1953 to 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt (); ; ) is the third-largest city in the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Saxony after Leipzig and Dresden, and the fourth-largest city in the area of former East Germany after (East Be ...

.''

Men's Best Year Performers

100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at ...

200 metres The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400-metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slight ...

400 metres The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is ...

800 metres The 800 metres, or 800 meters (American and British English spelling differences#-re.2C -er, US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of a ...

1,500 metres The 1500 metres or 1500-metre run is the foremost middle distance track event in Sport of athletics, athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletics since 1983. It is equivalen ...

Mile The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a imperial unit, British imperial unit and United States customary unit of length; both are based on the older English unit of Unit of length, le ...

3,000 metres The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track. It is debated whether the 3000 m shou ...

5,000 metres

10,000 metres The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship-level events. The ...

Half Marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish, or shortcu ...

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

110m Hurdles The 110 metres hurdles, or 110-metre hurdles, is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is included in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metres hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten hurd ...

400m Hurdles The 400 metres hurdles is a track and field hurdling event. The event has been on the Olympic athletics programme since 1900 for men and since 1984 for women. On a standard outdoor track, 400 metres is the length of the inside lane, once ar ...

3,000m Steeplechase

High Jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...

Long Jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...

Triple Jump The triple jump, sometimes referred to as the hop, step and jump or the hop, skip and jump, is a track and field event, similar to long jump. As a group, the two events are referred to as the "horizontal jumps". The competitor runs down the tr ...

Discus

Hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nail (fastener), nails into wood, to sh ...

Shot Put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...

Pole Vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a #bar, bar. Pole jumping was already practiced by the ...

Javelin (old design)

Decathlon The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of 10 track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ἄθλος (''áthlos'', or ἄ ...

Women's Best Year Performers

100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at ...

200 metres The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400-metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slight ...

400 metres The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is ...

800 metres The 800 metres, or 800 meters (American and British English spelling differences#-re.2C -er, US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of a ...

1,500 metres The 1500 metres or 1500-metre run is the foremost middle distance track event in Sport of athletics, athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletics since 1983. It is equivalen ...

Mile The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a imperial unit, British imperial unit and United States customary unit of length; both are based on the older English unit of Unit of length, le ...

3,000 metres The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track. It is debated whether the 3000 m shou ...

5,000 metres

10,000 metres The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship-level events. The ...

Half Marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish, or shortcu ...

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

100m Hurdles The 100 metres hurdles, or 100-meter hurdles, is a track and field event run mainly by women (the male counterpart is the 110 metres hurdles). For the race, ten hurdles of a height of are placed along a straight course of . The first hurdle is ...

400m Hurdles The 400 metres hurdles is a track and field hurdling event. The event has been on the Olympic athletics programme since 1900 for men and since 1984 for women. On a standard outdoor track, 400 metres is the length of the inside lane, once ar ...

High Jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...

Long Jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...

Discus

Shot Put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...

Javelin (old design)

Heptathlon A heptathlon is a track and field combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek ἑπτά (hepta, meaning "seven") and ἄθλος (áthlos, or ἄθλον, áthlon, meaning "competition"). A competitor in a hep ...

Births

January

*January 2 –

Athanasia Tsoumeleka Athanasia Tsoumeleka (, ; born 2 January 1982 in Preveza, Greece) is a Greece, Greek race walking, race walker, who won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She was named the Greek Female Athlete of the Year for 2004. Until 2003 ...

, Greek race walker *January 3 –

Eşref Apak Eşref Apak (born 3 January 1982 in Kalecik, Ankara) is a Turkish hammer thrower. Apak was a member of Fenerbahçe Athletics in Istanbul then transferred to Enkaspor, where he was coached by Artun Talay. The tall athlete at was a student of ...

, Turkish hammer thrower *January 5 –

Vadims Vasiļevskis Vadims Vasiļevskis (born 5 January 1982) is a retired Latvian track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw. He Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's javelin throw, won silver at the 2004 Summer Olympics. His personal best t ...

, Latvian athlete *January 12 –

Dimitrios Tsiamis Dimitrios Tsiamis (; born 12 January 1982 in Karditsa) is a Greece, Greek triple jumper. ...

, Greek triple jumper *January 24 –

Hamdi Dhouibi Hamdi Dhouibi (born 24 January 1982 in Kairouan) is a Tunisian decathlete. He held the African record with 8023 points, achieved at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki. The record was broken by Larbi Bouraada of Algeria at the 2009 World ...

, Tunisian decathlete

February

*February 2 –

Dorcus Inzikuru 230px Dorcus Inzikuru (born 2 February 1982 in Vurra, Arua District) is a Ugandan track and field athlete, competing in the steeplechase. She won the inaugural world title in women's 3000 m steeplechase, as well as the first Commonwealth title ...

, Ugandan athlete *February 7 – Rumyana Karapetrova, Bulgarian javelin thrower *February 8 – Iryna Shtanhyeyeva, Ukrainian sprinter *February 9 –

Zersenay Tadese Zersenay Tadese Habtesilase ( Tigrinya: ዘርእሰናይ ታደሰ; born 8 February 1982) is an Eritrean former long-distance track and road running athlete. He held the men's half marathon world record from 2010 to 2018. His bronze medal i ...

, Eritrean athlete *February 10 –

Justin Gatlin Justin Alexander Gatlin (born February 10, 1982) is a retired American sprinter who competed in the 60 meters, 100 meters, and 200 meters. He is the 2004 Olympic Champion in the 100 meters, the 2005 and 2017 World Champion in the 100 meters, the ...

, American athlete *February 18 –

Krisztián Pars Krisztián Pars (; born 18 February 1982) is a Hungarian hammer thrower. He competed at the Summer Olympics in 2004, 2008, and 2012, winning the gold medal in 2012. He also won the 2012 and 2014 European championships. Career His personal be ...

, Hungarian hammer thrower

March

*March 1 –

Leryn Franco Leryn Dahiana Franco Steneri (born 1 March 1982 in Asunción) is a Paraguayan model, actress and former athlete who currently works for the athletics department of Club Sol de América. Franco participated at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics com ...

, Paraguayan javelin thrower *March 14 – Yuleidis Limonta, Cuban heptathlete *March 16 –

Inga Kožarenoka Inga Kožarenoka (born 16 March 1982 in Saldus) is a javelin thrower from Latvia. Her personal best throw is 59.97 metres, achieved in June 2005 in Murjani. At the time it became Latvian record. She has been coached by Valentīna Eiduka. She wo ...

, Latvian javelin thrower *March 25 –

Kayoko Fukushi is a Japanese long-distance runner, who specializes in the 5000, 10,000 metres and marathon. Fukushi represented Japan at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. She was the bronze medallist in the marathon at the 2013 World Championships in A ...

, Japanese long-distance runner *March 31 –

Janice Josephs Janice Josephs (born 31 March 1982 in Cape Town) is a South African heptathlete turned long jumper. She finished nineteenth at the 2004 Summer Olympics and fifth at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the latter in a personal best score of 6181 points. ...

, South African heptathlete

April

*April 15 –

Jean-Jacques Nkouloukidi Jean-Jacques Nkouloukidi (born 15 April 1982 in Rome) is a former Italy, Italian race walking, race walker. Biography Born in Rome by Republic of the Congo, Congolese father and Haitian mother grew up in Ostia (Rome), Ostia practicing swimming (s ...

, Italian race walker *April 20 –

Arnoud Okken Arnoud Okken (born 20 April 1982 in Doetinchem) is a Dutch track and field athlete specialising in the 800 metres. His first international victory came at the 2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships. Commenting on the win, Okken stated that ...

, Dutch middle-distance runner *April 20 – Dennis Leyckes, German decathlete *April 25 – Victoria Mitchell, Australian long-distance runner

May

*May 6 –

Dilshod Nazarov Dilshod Jamoliddinovich Nazarov (, ; , ''Dilshod Dzhamoliddinovich Nazarov'') (born 6 May 1982) is a Tajik track and field athlete who specializes in the hammer throw. He has represented his country at the Olympic Games on four occasions (in 2004 ...

, Tajikistani hammer thrower *May 10 –

Yochai Halevi Yochai Halevi (; born 10 May 1982) is an Israeli long jumper and triple jumper. Halevi is Jewish. He competed at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's long jump, 2009 World Championships without reaching the final. His personal bes ...

, Israeli long jumper and triple jumper *May 12 –

Marvin Anderson Marvin Anderson (born 12 May 1982) is a Jamaican sprint athlete. He finished sixth in the 200m final at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka where he also won a silver medal in the 4 × 100 m relay team for Jamaica. He is a former student of ...

, Jamaican sprinter *May 15 –

Veronica Campbell-Brown Veronica Campbell Brown (born 15 May 1982) is a retired Jamaican track and field sprinter, who specialized in the 100 and 200 meters. An eight-time Olympic medalist, she is the second of three women in history to win two consecutive Olym ...

, Jamaican athlete *May 20 – Mihail Stamatoyiannis, Greek shot putter *May 25 –

Ezekiel Kemboi Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi (born 25 May 1982) is a Kenyan professional athlete, winner of the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2009 World Championships, the 2011 World Championships, the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 Worl ...

, Kenyan athlete *May 30 –

Phaustin Baha Sulle Phaustin Baha Sulle (born 30 May 1982 in Arusha) is a Tanzanian long-distance runner who specializes in the half marathon and marathon. He won the silver medal at the 2000 World Half Marathon Championships. In 1999 he won the Paris Half Marathon ...

, Tanzanian long-distance runner

June

*June 3 –

Yelena Isinbayeva Yelena Gadzhievna Isinbayeva ( rus, Елена Гаджиевна Исинбаева, p=jɪˈlʲɛnə gɐˈdʐɨjɪvnə ɪsʲɪnˈbajɪvə; born 3 June 1982) is a Russian former pole vaulter. She is twice an Olympic gold medalist (2004 and 200 ...

, Russian pole vaulter *June 5 –

Fabiano Peçanha Fabiano Peçanha (born June 5, 1982 in Cruz Alta, Rio Grande do Sul) is a Brazilian middle distance runner. He is a quadruple South American champion in 800 metres and 1500 metres. Peçanha studied at the Lutheran University of Brazil and repre ...

, Brazilian middle-distance runner *June 11 – Vanessa Boslak, French pole vaulter *June 13 –

Kenenisa Bekele Kenenisa Bekele Beyecha (; ; born 13 June 1982) is an Ethiopian Long-distance running, long-distance runner. He was the world record holder in both the 5000 metres, 5,000-metre and 10000 metres, 10,000-metre from 2004 until 2020. He won the go ...

, Ethiopian distance runner *June 25 –

Esther Dankwah Esther Dankwah (born June 25, 1982) is a Ghanaian sprinter who specializes in the 100 metres. She has been living in the Netherlands since 2003. She won the bronze medal with the African 4 x 100 metres relay team at the 2006 IAAF World Cup. With ...

, Ghanaian sprinter

July

*July 8 –

Park Chil-Sung Park Chil-Sung (, ; born 8 July 1982) is a South Korean race walker Race walking, or racewalking, is a long-distance discipline within the sport of athletics. Although a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot must appear to b ...

, South Korean race walker *July 14 –

Vyacheslav Muravyev Vyacheslav Olegovich Muravyev (; born 14 July 1982 in Karaganda) is a Kazakhstani sprinter who specializes in the 100 and 200 metres. He competed in the 60 metres at the 2006 World Indoor Championships, and finished eighth in the 100 metres at th ...

, Kazakhstani sprinter *July 23 – Thaimara Rivas, Venezuelan heptathlete

August

*August 5 –

Jo Ankier Joanna Ankier (born 5 August 1984) is a former international athlete who held three British National Records and is now a British television personality. Ankier is currently a television host for BT Sport Boxing & reporter for Amazon Prime Video ...

, British long-distance runner *August 9 – Robert Häggblom, Finnish shot putter *August 9 – Byron Piedra, Ecuadorian distance runner *August 31 –

Lien Huyghebaert Lien Huyghebaert (born 31 August 1982) is a Belgian sprinter, who specializes in the 100 metres. Huyghebaert finished sixth in 4 x 100 metres relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics, with teammates Katleen De Caluwé, Élodie Ouédraogo and Kim Gevae ...

, Belgian athlete

September

*September 11 –

Elvan Abeylegesse Elvan Abeylegesse (also formerly: Hewan Abeye (አልቫን አበይለገሠ, Amharic) and Elvan Can ( Turkish); born 11 September 1982) is an Ethiopian-born Turkish middle and long-distance running athlete who competed over distances from 150 ...

, Ethiopian-born Turkish track and field athlete *September 15 –

Matthew Boyles Matthew Boyles (born September 15, 1982) is an American race walker. He attended the University of Rio Grande and competed at the 2007 Pan American Games The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games () and comm ...

, American race walker *September 29 – Salome Chepchumba, Kenyan middle-distance runner

October

*October 25 –

Aarik Wilson Aarik Wilson (born October 25, 1982, in Reno, Nevada) is an American long jumper and triple jumper. He attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. US Olympic Trials Triple Jump Champion 2008, US National Indoor Triple Jump Champion 2008 ...

, American long jumper and triple jumper

November

*November 4 –

Kamila Skolimowska Kamila Skolimowska (4 November 1982 – 18 February 2009) was a Polish hammer thrower. She is best known for her gold medal in the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics, which made her the youngest Olympic hammer champion, as well as for her two medals ...

, Polish hammer thrower (d. 2009) *November 6 –

Loree Smith Loree Smith (born November 6, 1982) is an American hammer thrower. Early years Smith said she played sports just to pass the time growing up. When asked to describe her start in track and field, she said she was "just a chubby kid throwing 25 ...

, American hammer thrower *November 9 –

Eloise Wellings Eloise Wellings (née Poppett) (born 9 November 1982 in White Plains, New York, United States) is an Australian long-distance runner. She represented her country at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, the 2010 edition in New Delhi and the ...

, Australian long-distance runner *November 11 – Ivan Babaryka, Ukrainian long-distance runner *November 11 –

Asafa Powell Asafa Powell (born 23 November 1982) is a retired Jamaican sprinter who specialised in the 100 metres. He set the 100 metres world record twice, between June 2005 and May 2008 with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds. Powell has consistently ...

, Jamaican sprinter *November 29 –

Andrei Chubsa Andrei Chubsa (; born 29 November 1982) is a Belarusian high jumper. He won the bronze medal at the 1999 World Youth Championships, finished sixth at the 2000 World Junior Championships and tenth at the 2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships, and ...

, Belarusian high jumper

December

*December 2 – Morten Jensen, Danish long jumper *December 11 –

Darren Gilford Darren Gilford (born 11 December 1982) is a Maltese former sprinter who specialized in the 100 metres. Participating in the 2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially brand ...

, Maltese athlete *December 25 –

Samson Ramadhani Samson Ramadhani Nyonyi (born 25 December 1982 in Singida) is a Tanzanian marathon runner. He was the gold medalist at the 2006 Commonwealth Games that took place in Melbourne, Australia with the result at 2:11:29. In 2003 he participated three ...

, Tanzanian long-distance runner

Deaths

*April 26 –

Ville Ritola Vilho "Ville" Eino Ritola (18 January 1896 – 24 April 1982) was a Finnish long-distance runner. Known as one of the " Flying Finns", he won five Olympic gold medals and three Olympic silver medals in the 1920s. He holds the record of winning ...

(86), Finnish Olympic gold medal runner (b. 1896) *June 25 –

Ed Hamm Edward Barton Hamm (April 13, 1906 – June 25, 1982) was an American athlete, who won the gold medal in the long jump at the 1928 Summer Olympics held in Amsterdam, Netherlands, becoming the first Arkansan to win a gold medal. The ''Atlanta Jour ...

(76), American athlete (b. 1906) *June 28 – Wiesław Maniak (41), Polish sprinter (b. 1938) *August 4 – Henk van der Wal (95), Dutch track and field athlete (b. 1886)

References

Year Lists

{{DEFAULTSORT:1982 In Athletics (Track And Field) Athletics (track and field) by year