INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS events: Carl Lewis (USA), the long jump in 8.43 m and Sergei Bubka (URS), perhaps a little troubled by the vagaries of the weather, the pole vault in 5.80m. A few IAAF surprises, though, in the women’s 3,000 m, Patti Sue Plumer (USA) just ahead, in The fourteenth ‘Athletissima’ meet in Lau- 8’42”12, of Olympic champion Paula Ivan sanne, the second since it was promoted to (ROM), and lngrid Kristiansen (NOR) in an IAAF Grand Prix event, took place on seventh place. 27th June at the Olympic Stadium. In spite of one of the city’s frequent short, sharp storms before the entrance of the athletes, There were several new meet records, and perhaps because of the suddenly oxy- such as the 20.37 m of Heidi Krieger gen-rich air, the fifteen thousand spectators (GDR) in the shot put, with which she beat were treated to some fine performances. Olympic champion Natalia Lisovkaya (URS). As yet, though, no world records to crown the success of Athletissima. With the The 110 m hurdles drew all three Seoul event’s ability to attract such a top class medallists, Roger Kingdom (USA), Colin field, it cannot be long before those arrive Jackson (GBR), Anthony Campbell (USA) too. and former world champion Greg Foster (USA). Not surprising that double Olympic champion Kingdom (USA) had to run this year’s best time so far for the event, 13”13, to finish first. The women’s 100 m was run by up-and-coming Dawn Sowell (USA) in 10”99. In the men’s event, Dennis Mitchell Patti Sue Plumer going ahead of (USA) and Raymond Stewart (JAM) crossed Paula Ivan in the 3000 m. the line together in 10”03, only the photo- finish deciding the American had won. There was not much doubt about first place in the men’s 1,500 m, Saïd Aouita (MAR) easily home in a time of 3’35”26, with Wilfred Oanda Kirochi (KEN) second and Olympic champion Peter Rono (KEN) third. Similar story for Peter Koech (KEN), silver Olympic medallist, in the 3,000 m and for Sandra Farmer (JAM) in the 400 m hurdles. Ana Quirot (CUB) took the women’s 800 m in 1’57”95, best perform- ance so far for 1989. Grace Jackson (JAM), silver medallist in Seoul, ran an elegant, if slowish for her, 22”52 to win the 200 m. Jose Regalo (POR) had a strong finish to win the 5,000 m in 13’39”87. Paul Ereng (KEN) and Abdi Bile (SOM) were both in the men’s 800 m, the Kenyan winning in 1’45”21. Steve Lewis (USA), Olympic cham- pion in the 400 m, won this event in 44”47. Two other gold medallists last year, both familiar at this meet, also won their 399 INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS only if these are not used. It will be the responsibility of national football associ- ations and clubs to define high-risk games and also to appoint full-time safety officers. FIBT The artificial slope at La Plagne in Savoy, n An advisor to FIFA, Ernie Walker, Secre- where the Olympic luge and bobsleigh tary of the Scottish Football Association, events will take place in 1992, will be has said that the federation could make operational as from the end of 1990. Con- protective shin-pads compulsory for all struction began last autumn. One of the players in a year’s time. Speaking after a series in the World Cup in bob will be meeting of FIFA in Edinburgh, he envisaged organized there from 7th to 15th January this safety measure being written into the 1991. Events counting towards the World rules of the game and thus reaching all Cup in Luge are also scheduled two weeks levels of football from school upwards. later, from 28th January to 2nd February. One minor immediate change to the federations rules is that all players must have footwear in order to play a full match. This follows cases of matches being played barefoot in some countries. FIFA Sitting Room Only Standing room sections for all major foot- The Coliseum in Rome, an official ball matches will be banned from 1993, FIH poster for the 1990 football FIFA announced in July. “Clubs are spend- World Cup in Italy. ing a lot of money on players. They must The federations of Barbados and the Cay- do the same for the comfort and security man Islands have joined the International of spectators,” said the federation’s Secre- Hockey Federation. With the readmission tary-General, Joseph Blatter. The new gen- of the federation of Sudan, the FIH now eral security measure, under study since has 103 member federations. spring 1988, has been adopted speedily in response to the recent tragedy in Sheffield (GBR) when 95 fans were killed in an over- crowded standing section during the national cup semi-final. Thirty five fans also died in 1985 following a riot that broke out in the Heysel Stadium in Brussels during the 1985 European Cup final. FIFA had already insisted that the 1990 World Cup finals in Italy be played in all-seat stadiums. FILA Under the new rules, all seats must be The International Wrestling Federation’s individual and numbered. Matches may be new telephone number: (021) 312 84 26; played in stadiums with standing enclosures fax : (021) 23 60 73. 400 limit it has been at until present. This inno- vation particularly involves the slopes of Brigels, where one of next season’s world cup events will take place and of Méribel, ISU the 1992 Olympic venue. The ISU executive, meeting in May in Varna (BUL), has given indications that it is considering allowing professional figure skaters to compete in World and European Championships. Olaf Poulsen, the federa- tion’s president, has stressed, however, that if such a proposal were to be accepted by the ISU congress, which next meets in May 1990 in New Zealand, it would be on the strict understanding that no cash incentives could be offered and that the professional skaters would abide by the ISU rules. ITF Moves against African Membership The management committee of the Inter- national Tennis Federation has made a Double German victory of Steffi statement that it will back a move to expel Graf and Boris Becker in July’s the South African tennis federation from its Wimbledon singles finals. membership. FIS The resolution, made by the Nigerian The International Ski Federation, meeting in tennis federation, to exclude South Africa Venice in June, decided to retain the 2 x 15 whilst it pursues a policy of racial segrega- km cross country ski events called com- tion, will be voted on at the ITF’s annual bined pursuits, in order to discourage the assembly in Buenos Aires in September. It current tendency towards over-specializa- has already received backing from the fed- tion. These double courses, one in frees- erations of Denmark, Finland, Norway and tyle and one in classic style, featured on Sweden. A member federation has never the programme of the World Champion- been expelled from the ITF and the rules ships in Lahti (FIN) this year and were also would have to be changed in order to do tested with apparent success during the so. World Cup. ITF representatives will also be asked Turning to Alpine skiing, the federation to ratify a board decision of last March not has decided to ban ‘home’ training before to sanction any further tennis events in World Cup events. In future, all slopes will South Africa. be closed for three days before the official training is to start. This measure is to avoid Mike Davies, the ITF’s general an unfair advantage by skiers, particularly manager, does not hide the fact that the of the host nation. There were several ITF wishes to square its position on South instances of such practice last season, Africa with that of other International Fed- although the FIS stressed that the results of erations in order not to jeopardise tennis’s the skiers concerned did not show that hard-won return as an Olympic sport in they had benefitted at all. Seoul, which was on a trial basis only. Also that South Africa’s continued presence as The women’s downhill is to be tried an ITF member has caused wide-spread out, on an experimental basis, with a maxi- concern within the Olympic Movement, mum slope of 800 m instead of the 700 m which has a clear anti-apartheid policy. 401 INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS The International Tennis Federation has initiatives have already been taken in this appointed Mr. William Babcock Tourna- direction by the federations of Algeria, the ment Administrator. Côte-d’lvoire, Kenya and Mauritius. Mr. Babcock, 39, will oversee the work of a new ITF panel organizing the four Grand Slam tournaments as well as pro- mote Grand Slam and Davis Cup rules and co-ordinate the feeder tournaments on the men’s tour. A former professional tennis player and coach, Babcock practised law in IYRU Minnesota until 1985, when he became assistant administrator of the Men’s Tennis Women’s World Championships Council. Excellent sailing conditions prevailed for the 1989 International World Women’s Sail- ing Championships held at the end of June in Mallorca (ESP) and in which representa- tives from sixteen nations took part. Whilst the Chinese, headed by Li Ke, dominated the Lechner A390 Class, the International 420 and Europe classes were both decided in the last races, Spaniards Nuria Bover and Sylvia Summers taking the doublehanded FITA 420’s ahead of the Severine Ree-Jones and Sue Hay of Britain and the Italian Alessan- At the International Archery Federation’s drak lngangi coming through ahead of congress in Lausanne in June, on the occa- Linda Anderson and Mette Gurvin of Nor- sion of the World Championships, a new way in the singlehanded Europe Class.