athletics - LA84 Foundation

None of the first five women in the 100m
knew who had won, even by watching
the replay. They all finished within 0.6 seconds
of each other and had to wait, like the
spectators, to see who got the medals and
which in one of the closest races in Olympic
history. Gail Devers had the gold, a hundredth
of a second ahead of Jamaica’s Juliet
Cuthbert, seventh in Seoul, who was the same
breath away from the Russian lrina Privalova.
Gwen Torrence of the USA, fifth in 1988,
came fourth, followed by the Jamaican Merlene
Ottey.
Sixth in Seoul, and silver medallist in the
world championships in the 100m and 200m
behind Katrin Krabbe, Torrence finally had
her claim to glory justified in the 200m, as
did Ottey, absent at the last two Games, who
took bronze, Cuthbert winning her second silver.
Three years ago, on the same Olympic
track, Marie-Jose Perec of France was ahead
of Ana Quirot in the 400m but disqualified for
running out of lane. In Barcelona, she repeated
Colette Besson’s triumph in Mexico
City, becoming the sole world champion from
Tokyo to win the gold, although she had a
tougher race in Barcelona, overtaking the defending
Olympic champion, the Ukrainian
Olga Bryzgina right at the end. Ximena Restrepo
of Colombia won the bronze.
WOMEN
The 800m was a heart-stopper of a race.
Ellen Van Langen of The Netherlands was in
fifth position with 200m to go, catching up
three runners and then passing the world
champion, Lilia Nurutdinova of Russia, on the
inside in the last 50m. Ana Quirot of Cuba
took the bronze. World Champion Hassiba
Boulmerka of Algeria saved her great finishing
kick in the 1,500m to defeat the Russian
Lyudmila Rogacheva, Yunxia Qu of China in
bronze position, in what she wanted to be
seen as a victory for Algerian youth.
“Normally I finish second or third”, said
the Russian Elena Romanova, fourth in Seoul,
after the 3000m. Finally, this time I was first.”
She beat Tatiana Dorovskikh, née Samolenko,
the defending champion in a slow time of
8’46"06, who was not disappointed: “To be
Olympic champion, you have to arrive at the
Games with much better results than mine.
But the silver medal will always be a silver
medal and today it’s mine!” The Canadian
Angela Chalmers came third.
The 10,000m was a triumph for African
women. After disposing of the world champion,
Briton Liz McColgan, the South African
Elana Meyer seemed desperate for someone
Femmes -Women - Mujeres
*100m
1. Gail Devers Roberts (USA) 10"82
2. Juliet Cuthbert (JAM) 10"83
3. lrina Privalova (RUS) 10"84
4. Gwen Torrence (USA) 10"86
5. Merlene Ottey (JAM) 10"88
6. Anelia Dultcheva Nuneva (BUL) 11"10
7. Mary Onyali (NCR) 11"15
8. Liliana Allen Doll (CUB)
* 200 m
11"19
1. Gwen Torrence (USA) 21"81
2. Juliet Cuthbert (JAM) 22"02
3. Merlene Ottey (JAM) 22"09
4. lrina Privalova (RUS) 22"119
5. Carlette D. Guidry (USA) 22"30
6. Grace Jackson Small (JAM) 22"58
7. Michelle Finn (USA) 22"61
8. Galina Malchugina (RUS)
* 400 m
22"63
1. Marie-José Pérec (FRA) 48"83
2. Olga Bryzgina (UKR) 49"105
3. Ximena Restrepo Gaviria (COL) 49"64
4. Olga Nararova (RUS) 49"69
5. Jillian C. Richardson-Briscoe (CAN) 49"93
6. Rochelle Stevens (USA) 50"11
7. Sandie Angela Richards (JAM) 50"19
8. Phylis Smith (GBR) 50"87
Gail Devers, far left.
Above, Marie-José Pérec.
Below, Yueling Chen.
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