When the 1999 athletics season started, Ludmila Formanova from the Czech Republic was a relatively unknown but good runners class member. She was a former European Junior champion and (then) current European Indoor title holder for 800 metres and a sub-two-minutes athlete.
But within seven months in 1999, she became double world champion (indoor and outdoor) and the biggest nightmare for Maria Mutola seemed unbeatable at the time. Remember that before the story, Mutola and Formanova were matched up 24 times in their running careers in 800 metres, and Mutola lost twice, both at the final races in the Worlds.
Trained by world record holder Jarmila Kratocvilova, the 25-year-old Ludmila Formanova hits her first punch at the World Indoors final in Maebashi. She chased Maria Mutola all race long before being kicked out for the spectacle win over the Mozambique star, clocking a new Championship record in 1:56.90. The powerful Czech asserted her ability to finish in that race.
Just four months later, Formanova and Mutola have another face-off at the World Athletics Championships in Seville. In the final, double Olympic champion Svetlana Masterkova and great American Jearl Miles-Clark placed themselves in the lineup alongside Maria Mutola. Ludmila curbed inside in the first lap when a tight battle happened out there as Mutola suddenly took the position when the bell rang at 57.63 for 400m split. Formanova reacted from inside immediately to regain second position, then Mutola and Masterkova started to kick for the conclusion prep. With 200 metres to go, Formanova dropped fourth but had a touch with the experienced trio.
In the final stretch, she changed her mind quickly and decided to cross outside lane for the one last hurrah in last 60 metres. She accelerated from lane four and passed Miles-Clark, Masterkova, and Mutola at the finish line. Formanova's 59.4 final lap and dreadful speed in the closing stage brought a gold medal to her once again.
She wasn't aware of winning initially and turned to the stand for confirmation. Once she confirmed it, she took the Czech flag for the victory lap as bewildered Maria Mutola directly headed to exit.
Ludmila Formanova finished the year with the highest note but never reached the same level afterwards. But she will be remembered as one of the special surprises in athletics history.
Written by Şevket F. ERBAY
