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Just as he did at the World Championships, Sergey Bubka stole the show at track and field's finale for 1997, the IAAF Grand Prix Final. Most of the 25,000 crowd stayed after the final track event in the Hakatanomori stadium to watch Bubka attempt a world record of 6.15. He was not successful, but he had already performed wonderfully under pressure with the world's highest vault - 6.05 - on his third attempt. The Ukrainian needed that to beat Russia's Maksim Tarasov, who had the rare experience of vaulting six metres and losing. Bubka, who had plenty to spare on his clearance at 6.05, was congratulated by none other that the IAAF President Dr Primo Nebiolo after his last vault. Bubka did not figure in the race for the Overall IAAF Grand Prix Awards, which went to Wilson Kipketer and Astrid Kumbernuss.
Kipketer secured his win with a clear victory at 800m in which he broke 1:43 for a record-equalling seventh time in 1997. Only a world record by Daniel Komen (5000m), Hicham El Guerrouj (One Mile) or Lars Riedel (Discus Throw) could have overtaken the Dane. Of these only Riedel won. The German did not set any records but claimed second place overall as Komen surprisingly faded to fifth place in the last 600m of his race and El Guerrouj was edged out in a sprint finish. Komen's defeat might have had something to do with his dislike of the hot, humid conditions. El Guerrouj was simply taken by surprise in a race which was much slower that the usual paced Grand Prix affairs. The man who beat him for the first time this year was Robert Andersen, like Kipketer a Kenyan transplanted to Denmark.
One Kenyan who did win on the track was Joseph Keter, whose kick before the final water jump of the steeplechase took everyone by surprise. Third place overall went to Mark Crear, who produced one of the performances of the day in the 110m hurdles, 13.03. Only Allen Johnson, absent from Fukuoka, has been faster this year. Frank Fredericks won a classy 200m in 19.81, his best of the year.
In the field, Jan Zelezny showed he was back to his best by winning the javelin at 89.58. In the final round, he went even further at 92.58, but the throw was outside the sector. Iván Pedroso was another to have a long foul, this time in the first round of the long jump. Then, he was in the region of 8.60 but he returned to win with 8.53. The one non-Grand Prix event, the 400m hurdles, went to Zambia's Samuel Matete who took control over the last two hurdles.
The women's 400m hurdles was to decide the winner of the overall trophy. Could Deon Hemmings win in a fast enough time to outscore Shot Putter Astrid Kumbernuss? The answer was no, because the winner of the race was Kim Batten, who pulled clear from Hemmings after the eighth hurdle. This meant that Kumbernuss simply needed to win in order to become the first thrower to win an Overall IAAF Grand Prix title. This she duly did with an excellent series, capped with 20.95. The performances of Hemmings and Batten put them in second and third place behind Kumbernuss in the standings, and they held those positions for the entire meeting.
The women jumpers were also in form. Yulia Lyakhova - setting a personal best - and Inga Babakova both high jumped 1.99 before Babakova went clear at 2.02, matching Stefka Kostadinova's 1997 world best from May. In the Triple Jump, Britain's Ashia Hansen moved to fifth place on the all-time list with a Commonwealth and Grand Prix record of 15.15 (wind: +1.7). World Champion Sarka Kaspárková was well beaten despite achieving her second best distance of the year, a windy 14.94.
Just like the men's event, the women's 5000m brought a shock with the failure to finish of World Champion Gabriela Szabo. She dropped out with three laps to go with breathing trouble, leaving Sally Barsosio as the first junior to win an IAAF Grand Prix title. Another Kenyan, Jackline Maranga, came close in the women's mile but lost out to a relaxed Carla Sacramento.
The women's 200m and 800m featured great duels. In the 200m, Marion Jones just held off Merlene Ottey - 16 years her senior - as both dipped under 22 seconds. At the finish, Ottey rather than Jones won the hearts of the crowd who called her name repeatedly. She rewarded them by throwing them her spikes. Quirot made it 3-4 versus Mutola in the 800 in a race which was close until the last 50m.
The one non-Grand Prix event for women, the 100m hurdles, brought a startling run by Michelle Freeman, who clocked a just-windy 12.40 ahead of Ludmila Engquist's 12.48. She was more than a tenth quicker than her legal best, but Freeman didn't realise how fast it was until Engquist pointed it out to her.
All the individual event Grand Prix winners netted $50,000 with further awards for those placing in the first eight. The incentive of prize money, the warmth (up to 32°C) and the enthusiastic but polite crowds brought out the best of most those in action. It was a fitting end to a great season and proved there is room in a World Championship Year for the IAAF Grand Prix and Final. This time next year we will be capping the 1998 season in Moscow.

Overall Grand Prix Standings (Prize money winners)

MEN

1, Wilson Kipketer DEN 114 points ($200,000 plus $50,000 for winning the 800m)
2, Lars Riedel GER 99 ($100,000 plus $50,000 for winning the Discus Throw)
3, Mark Crear USA 95 ($50,000 plus $50,000 for winning the 110m Hurdles)
4, Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 93 ($20,000 plus $30,000 for second place in the One Mile)
5, Moses Kiptanui KEN 88 ($15,000 plus $30,000 for second place in the 3000m Steeplechase)
6, Daniel Komen KEN 86 ($13,000 plus $8000 for 5th place in the 5000m)
7, Jan Zelezny CZE 85 ($12,000 plus $50,000 for winning the Javelin Throw)
8, James Beckford JAM 85 ($10,000 plus $30,000 for second place in the Long Jump)

WOMEN

1, Astrid Kumbernuss GER 99 ($200,000 plus $50,000 for winning the Shot Put)
2, Deon Hemmings JAM 93 ($100,000 plus $30,000 for second place in the 400m Hurdles)
3, Kim Batten USA 91 ($50,000 plus $50,000 for winning the 400m Hurdles)
4, Inga Babakova UKR 90 ($20,000 plus $50,000 for winning the High Jump)
5, Sarka Kaspárková CZE 87 ($15,000 plus $30,000 for second place in the Triple Jump)
6, Ashia Hansen GBR 79 ($13,000 plus $50,000 for winning the Triple Jump)
7, Ana Quirot CUB 79 ($12,000 plus $50,000 for winning the 800m)
8, Maria Mutola MOZ 73 ($10,000 plus $30,000 for second place in the 800m)