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By 1995, Sabine Braun had firmly established herself as one of the
world's top heptathletes, having won the past two European titles and
the 1991 World crown. At the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg,
Braun led after the first event, but injured her hand in the high jump,
and had to withdraw from the competition. At the 1996 Olympic Games in
Atlanta, Braun finished a disappointing seventh, with her performance
spoiled by a below average long jump.
By 1997, Braun was reaching
veteran class, and it seemed that her best years were behind her, but at
Ratingen, less than three weeks before her 32nd birthday, Sabine
produced her best score for four years, and the highest score for the
1997 season of 6787 points. Two months later at the World Championships
in Athens on 3-4 August, Braun took an immediate lead when she recorded
the best time in the 100m hurdles of 13.16sec. Sabine never
relinquished the lead, and after finishing the final event, the 800m, in
2min 17.32sec, the obviously delighted Braun (see photo above)
had won her second World title in the season's second best score of 6739
points. Three days later, Braun participated in the qualifying round
of the individual long jump competition, but failed to advance to the
final. Braun attempted to win her third European heptathlon title at
Budapest in 1998, but could finish only sixth, with her performance in
her strongest event, the long jump, again letting her down.
At the 1999
World Championships in Seville, Sabine was unlucky to finish out of the
medals, with a total score just three points less than the bronze
medallist. Braun competed in her fifth consecutive Olympic heptathlon
at Sydney in 2000, finishing a still competitive 5th, at 35 years of
age, with a score of 6355 points. (Ron Casey)
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