ali ▁in ▁Cat ania , ▁Sic ily ▁( Ital y ) ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁August ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁World ▁Championships ▁in ▁Ath ens , ▁Greece . ▁New ▁events ▁were ▁the ▁women ' s ▁ham mer ▁throw , ▁pole ▁v ault ▁and ▁half ▁mar athon ▁competition . ▁The ▁mar athon ▁was ▁dropped ▁from ▁the ▁programme ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁the ▁half ▁distance . ▁A ▁total ▁of ▁ 2 3 ▁men ' s ▁and ▁ 2 2 ▁women ' s ▁events ▁were ▁cont ested ▁( the ▁difference ▁being ▁that ▁ste e ple ch ase ▁was ▁held ▁for ▁men ▁only ). ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁to pped ▁the ▁athlet ics ▁medal ▁table ▁( as ▁it ▁had ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 ) ▁with ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 2 1 ▁med als , ▁eight ▁of ▁them ▁gold . ▁Russia ▁was ▁the ▁next ▁most ▁successful ▁nation , ▁with ▁six ▁g olds ▁among ▁its ▁ha ul ▁of ▁ 1 6 ▁med als . ▁Ukraine ▁won ▁five ▁gold ▁med als , ▁while ▁Cuba ▁won ▁four ▁events ▁and ▁had ▁the ▁third ▁highest ▁medal ▁total ▁at ▁twelve . ▁The ▁host ▁nation , ▁Italy , ▁won ▁eight ▁med als . ▁A ▁total ▁of ▁ 3 4 ▁nations ▁reached ▁the ▁medal ▁table . ▁ ▁Among ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁men ' s ▁champions , ▁Ukrain ian ▁shot ▁put ter ▁Y uri y ▁B ilon oh ▁and ▁ham mer ▁thro wer ▁Bal áz s ▁K iss ▁of ▁Hung ary ▁successfully ▁def ended ▁their ▁titles . ▁On