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Up to the end of 1982, Kathy Cook had established an enviable record at
major international championships, having won two individual and five
relay medals in competition at the Olympic Games, European
Championships, and the Commonwealth Games. In 1983, an additional
opportunity to add to her medal tally came her way, when Helsinki hosted
the inaugural edition of the World Championships. During the 1983
season, Cook only had limited competition prior to Helsinki, and would
observe afterwards that she had not been as competitive as she would
have liked, having found it difficult to race herself fit as no one else
wanted to come out earlier in the season. Despite her perceived lack
of competition, Cook won her third WAAA 100m title early in the season,
although she chose not to contest that event at Helsinki, opting only
for the 200m.
In Helsinki, the 4 x 100m relay, traditionally conducted
on the last day at major championships, was run early in the program,
four days before the 200m final. Kathy ran the second leg on the Great
Britain team, which despite drawing lane 8 in the final on August 10,
won the silver medal behind East Germany. In the 200m, Cook finished
second in the first semi-final behind Florence Griffith (USA), while
world record-holder Marita Koch (East Germany) narrowly won the second
semi-final from Jamaican Merlene Ottey. In the final on 14 August, Koch
and Ottey were drawn in lanes 6 and 7 respectively, well away from Cook
in lane 3. Koch and Ottey led the field into the straight, with Cook
and Griffith tied for third place. Although she was unable to make an
impression on the two leaders down the straight, Cook managed to
gradually pull away from Griffith to win the bronze medal (see photo above) in 22.63sec. (Ron Casey)
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