Big Event

[DoubleRBar]

This month's (May) "Big Event" happened on this date some 43 years ago in Europe. Our "Big Event" for today does not involve the hurdles, however it does involve a world record. The person who had the world record before this one had a birthday about four days before this "Big Event". You might already know that the athlete that set this world record (for our "Big Event") was from a country which does not exist today. Almost exactly one year after this world mark, the same athlete set another world record in this same event. Interesting to note that this athlete did not win an Olympic medal in this event, but did win an Olympic gold medal about two years after this "Big Event".

Can you name the athlete and the event for today's "Big Event"? Extra credit if you can give the mark for this world record and the place where it was set.

Good luck.

[noone]

I'm not sure, but we just noted Irena Szewinska's birthday.. So I'm guessing that on this date Marita Koch broke the 200m record.

[DoubleRBar]

Very well done, noone. On My 28, 1978, East Germany's Marita Koch ran 22.06 for the 200 in a meet in Erfurt, East Germany to break the world record which was held by Irena Szewinska at 22.21 (June of 1974).

Marita Koch went on to beat her own world mark in June of 1979 with a 22.02 in Leipzig, East Germany.

Thank you, noone.