The Hindu : Sport / Olympic Games : Just in ... for 100m glory

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Tuesday, Aug 24, 2004

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Sport - Olympic Games

Just in ... for 100m glory

By S. Thyagarajan

WHAT A FINISH: Justin Gatlin of U.S. (right) pips Portugal's Francis Obikwelu and Maurice Greene (U.S.) for the 100m gold. - AP

ATHENS, AUG. 23. It was an American sweep in the men's quarter mile here tonight with Jeremy Wariner emphatically proving the U.S. dominance in the event. Since 1984 the Americans have won all the 400 metres finals, and this was the 18th in the event in the Olympics. Wariner clocked 44s followed by Otis Harris (44.16) and Derrick Brew (44.42s).

The 20-year old Wariner, coached by Clyde Hart, the trainer of twice gold medallist, World and Olympic record holder, Michael Johnson, ran a beautiful race in lane 4. The only challenge for him was expected from Grenada's Francique Alleyne who had a time of 44.47s in the Osaka GP.

But Wariner had clocked the season's best of 44.37s at the U.S. trials, and tonight he showed tremendous acceleration after the third bend to decimate the challenge.

On Sunday night, American Justin Gatlin grabbed the 100m gold to emerge the fastest man in the Olympics. In a fantastic race, the 22-year-old Brooklyn-born Gatlin decimated a field of celebrated sprinters — the defending champion Maurice Green, season's best timer Shaun Crawford, Kim Collins and the enigmatic Jamaican Asafa Powell — for a time of 9.85s, his personal best.

On Monday, Britain's Kelly Holmes beat the famous Mozambique icon, Maria Mutola in the women's 800 metres, clocking 1:56.38s, the best for the season. Till the home stretch it looked as though the 32-year-old Mutola had the race well sewn up but the final burst by Kelly Holmes and Hasna Benhassi of Morocco and Jolanda Ceplak of Slovenia pushed Mutola to the fourth place.

Etone springs a surprise

A champion from Cameroon emerged here tonight when the lithe 28-year-old Francoise Mbango Etone surprised everyone picking up the gold in the women's triple jump. A silver medallist in the last two World championships and only 10th in the last Olympics at Sydney, Etone wrote a new chapter in her career pushing out the favourite, World champion and silver medallist at Sydney, Tatyana Lebedeva, who had to be satisfied with a bronze.

As expected it was an intense competition for glory. Etone fouled the first attempt as did the Russian. But Etone's second was an outstanding effort of 15.30m, which eventually determined the outcome.

After the first bad effort, Etone jumped 15.30, 15.02, 15.17, 15.21 and 15.30 again. At the end of the third attempt, Lebedeva was only fourth with Tracia Smith in the third spot with a 15.02 on her third attempt. But Tatyana, after fouling the fourth hit 15.04 to push Tracia to third. All that Tatyana could do in the final attempt was a 15.14m. Hrysopiyi Devetzi of Greece got the silver with a jump of 15.25 on the fourth attempt.

Cumba gets gold

Consequent to the disqualification of the Russian shot put gold medallist, Irina Korzhanenko, who tested positive, the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) has altered the result and announced the gold medal for Cuba's Cumba Yumileidi. The fourth-placed Svetlana Krivelyova of Russia has been elevated as winner of the bronze. She had a throw of 19.49m, while the new gold medallist from Cuba had 19.59m.

Greek queen

There was something for the Greeks to cheer on Monday morning when the 22-year-old Athanasia Tsoumeleka captured gold in the 20km walk for women. Not only did Tsoumeleka win the prize with a time of 1:29:12s but returned her personal best in the event. She had clocked only 1:29:34s in the event at Saint-Denis France last year, although she had won the under 23 in the European championship twice.

Russia's Olimpiada Ivanova and World champion Yelena Nikolayeva were the favourites but the former could finish only for a silver with a time of 1:29:16s, while Yelena tumbled to the 17th place.

Great race

In the 100m race, certainly Gatlin was not the favourite as much as Shaun Crawford, who had a season's best of 9.88s, or Maurice Greene, giving an outside chance to Asafa Powell. But Gatlin with a gutsy performance etched another triumph for the U.S.

Gatlin was just one hundredth of a second ahead of the surprise packet from Portugal, Francis Obikwelu at 9.86s. But the way Gatlin, running in lane three, gathered pace after exploding from the blocks along with Maurice Greene indicated a great race and it proved to be so.

Gatlin gathered momentum as Obikwelu narrowed the gap. Greene pumped himself ahead even as Aziz Zakari of Ghana collapsed in lane two. It became touch and go for Greene and Obikwelu but the lanky Portugese lunged ahead to equal the record of 9.86s. Powell who had the best time in the semifinals finished fifth (9.94s) and Kim Collins, sixth at 10.00s.

"It means the world for me. I had a great start and I had the ability to hold on from there. When I crossed the line, I knew for sure I was the winner. I hope to extend this to the World championships next year, but also win the 200 metres. In fact, I came here for three golds," Gatlin said.

Annus bags title

Adrian Annus of Hungary won the gold in the hammer throw. Five throws over 80 metres was no mean achievement. But he had to maintain that to ward off the challenge from the Japanese Koji Murofushi.

India's Saraswathi Saha finished fifth with a time of 23.45s in the 200m heats on Monday morning. Saraswathi who has the national record at 22.82 for the last two years qualified with a time of 23.05s at Bangalore.

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