Mogenburg Jumps 7-8 to Beat Thranhardt in European Indoor Meet

MADRID —  Olympic champion Dietmar Mogenburg of West Germany won a tense duel with compatriot Carlo Thranhardt to take the gold medal in the high jump at the European Indoor track and field championships Saturday.

Their battle, which lasted for almost four hours and resulted in a fourth European Indoor title for Mogenburg with a jump of 7-8, was the highlight of the first day of the two-day meet, in which five other gold medals were awarded.

Those went to Heike Drechsler of East Germany in the women’s long jump (23-8 3/4), Werner Gunthor of Switzerland in the men’s shotput (70-7), Ronald Desrulles of Belgium in the men’s 60 meters (6.61 seconds), Robert Emmiyan of the Soviet Union in the men’s long jump (27-3 3/4) and Cornelia Oschkenat of East Germany in the women’s 60-meter hurdles (7.79).

The remaining 16 finals will be decided today.

The opening of the championships was marred by a behind-the-scenes row involving government officials and leading track and field authorities.

The argument concerned the inclusion of Gibraltar’s flag in the opening ceremony. The Spanish government would not allow it to be displayed and, as a result, the flags of the other 27 competing nations were also not paraded.

One athlete from Gibralter took part in the meet and was eliminated in the first round of the 800 meters.