Athletics at the 1988 Seoul Summer Games:

At the 1985 TAC Meet, Willie Banks jumped 17.97 (58-11½) for a world record, which was only the second non-altitude assisted world record since 1960. But he was no longer at his best in 1988, although he made the US team and the final. The favorite was Bulgaria’s Khristo Markov, 1987 World Champion and 1986 European Champion. He was challenged in the final by the three Soviets – Igor Lapshin, Aleksandr Kovalenko, and Oleg Protsenko. In round one of the final, Markov opened with 17.61 (57-9½) and that would settle the gold medal, as nobody surpassed it. Lapshin was in fourth for much of the day but produced his best jump, 17.52 (57-5¾), in the final round, to get silver. Kovalenko and Protsenko had their best marks in round one, which earned them third and fourth, respectively.