Part 2 - LA84 Foundation

11.2
Athletics
Athletics, staged at the Olympic
Stadium for 9 days, attracted 1,727
athletes (1,148 male and 579 female)
from 148 countries, the largest number
in Olympic history.
Athletics captured the attention of the
world, especially for the much publicized
showdown in the 100 meter race
between Ben Johnson of Canada and
Carl Lewis of the United States, and
the efforts by marathon runners to
break the world record. The doping
scandal involving Ben Johnson,
however, sent shock waves around the
world.
Athletics competition consisted of
track, field, mixed, and road races for
a total of 42 events, 24 for men and 18
for women. The women's 10,000 meters
was a new addition in the Seoul
Olympics.
Athletics produced four world records,
one tie for a world record, 42 Olympic
bests, and four ties for Olympic
records.
The United States and the U.S.S.R.
dominated the athletics medal race,
capturing 13 golds and 10 golds,
respectively. Next came the German
Democratic Republic with six, and
Kenya with four medals.
Florence Griffith Joyner, an American
female sprinter, was brought into the
spotlight with three gold medals, along
with Carl Lewis, Steven Lewis and
Jackie Joyner Kersee, all from the
U.S.A., and Olga Bryzguina, of the
U.S.S.R. with two golds each.
The athletics competition drew some
680,000 spectators.
11.2.1
Competition Preparations
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The SLOOC studied competition
management and conducted overseas
training for operation personnel, sending
investigation teams to the 23rd Los
Angeles Games in 1984, the Kobe
Universiade in 1985, the Montreal
World Athletics Competition in 1986,
and the 9th Rome World Athletics
Competition in 1987.
Starting from September 1987, the
SLOOC began to secure key staff
members for the Athletics Operations,
and activated it in February 1988. In
April 1988, managers and officers
were lined up, signaling full-dress
preparations at the Olympic Stadium.
The organizational hierarchy of the
Athletics Operations included a commissioner,
secretary-general, three
directors, 13 managers and 56 officers.
The operation headquarters was
manned by 4,024 people including 22
staff members of the SLOOC, 2,217
volunteers, 1,451 support personnel
from sports organizations, government
agencies, medical institutes and the
military, and 334 temporary employees.
They received job education and sitefamiliarization
training, especially
through full-dress rehearsals conducted
twice to check the actual operations
system. A ceremony was held
on August 12 to mark the activation of
the operations headquarters.
The Olympic Stadium, where athletics
competitions were held, was constructed
in 1984 at a cost of
78.7 billion won after ground was
broken in 1977; its seating capacity is
100,000.
The stadium is built on a lot covering
413,000 square meters; it is 280 meters
in length and 245 meters in diameter
its circumference is 830 meters, and
height 47 meters. The stands have
69,841 seats on the first level; the
stadium is three storeys high, and has
a semi-enclosed roof.
The stadium's competition facilities
include an eight-lane track around a
105mx67m playing field; the concourse
was divided into areas for the high
jump, long jump, javelin, shotput,
hammer and discus throw. The
stadium was used for the Asian
Games in 1986, and some renovations
were done on the facilities, including a
renovation of the sound system and
the installation of an electronic scoreboard
of 16m x10m.
The marathon course started and
finished at the Olympic Stadium; it
was a loop course covering 42.195
kilometers traversing the Kangnam
district, and leading back to the starting
point along the Han River.
The walk race course started from the
Olympic Stadium and led back to it,
after making a loop a round the Chamshil
district; the course was adjusted
according to the 20-kilometer and
50-kilometer walk races.
The operations headquarters secured
14 grounds in eight regions for training
sites: Chamshil Athletics Warm-up
Field, the Korean National College of
Physical Education, the Taenung Training
Site (A and B), Anyang Stadium,
the throwing training site located at the
Han Riverside Park (A,B,C and D),
Seoul Physical Education High
School, Sangmu Stadium (A,B and C),
and the road race training course.
No athletes used the Taenung Training
Site and Anyang Stadium for training,
however.
It was the policy of the operations
headquarters to repair and utilize the
implements and equipment used for
the Asian Games within bounds conforming
to the regulations set by the
IAAF, and to use local products except
for special implements.
In regards to the implements and
equipment requiring approval according
to competition regulations, the
operation headquarters secured part
of the implements free of charge from
by leading international manufacturers.
Other implements and equipment
were secured under Olympic
marketing programs.
The implements and equipment
secured by the operations headquarters
included some 30,000 units in 160
kinds, which were deployed to competition
venues and training sites by
August 15, 1988.
The officials who represented the IAAF
consisted of: the president, secretarygeneral,
technical delegates, medical
delegates and technical personnel.
The technical team consisted of 49
international and 356 local judges;
119 were assigned to track events, 78
to marathons, 34 to throwing events,
and 34 to jumping events.
These technical officials were subjected
to orientation on six occasions,
starting from June 1988.
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