1984

1984

This year marked the renaming of the event to the Harry Jerome International Track Classic in honour of the late North Vancouver sprinter. Talk about photo finishes! Venerable New Zealand miler John Walker was sure he had won the mile race at Swangard Stadium in a thrilling finish over Australian rival Mike Hillardt. But even though the Kiwi raised his arms in triumph after the finish it was Hillardt who prevailed over 1976 Olympic champion Walker, winning the race in 3:52.34 to better the meet and Canadian open mark 3:53.04 set a year earlier by Irish runner Eamonn Coghlan.. Canadian Simon Hoogewerf was also embroiled in some 800-metre dramatics. The two-lap race was won by American Johnny Gray in 1:44.65 while Hoogewerf finished fourth in 1:46.72, outside the 1:46.5 needed to qualify for Canada’s Los Angeles Olympic team. But four officials caught Hoogewerf in a hand-timed 1:46.4. In shorter distances the hand-time was not considered acceptable at the time but at distances 800 metres and up the timing was accepted. The women’s 200 metres was again won by Jamaica’s Merlene Ottey, who would continue to be among the world’s best nearly two decades later. Meantime, Canada’s Lynn Williams took third in the 1,500 metres – weeks later she would earn a bronze medal in the women’s Olympic 3,000 metres that saw Mary Decker Slaney fall to the track in what was supposed to be a battle for Olympic gold with South African rival Zola Budd