Gatlin proves to be the fastest of them all
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Justin Gatlin shoveled the snow off his track in North Carolina, braving the cold to keep practicing, keep working, keep chasing Olympic gold.
He finally caught it Sunday night, outrunning the fastest field in Olympic history to become the youngest 100-meter champion in 36 years.
Gatlin ran a personal best 9.85 seconds, barely holding off Portugal's Francis Obikwelu, defending gold medalist Maurice Greene, outspoken teammate Shawn Crawford and Jamaica's Asafa Powell.
It was the first time in Olympic history that five men broke 10 seconds in a race. Four did it at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Obikwelu finished in 9.86 for silver. Greene took bronze in 9.87 and Crawford was fourth in 9.89.
”I said it was going to be the most exciting race in the world, and it was,” said Gatlin, a 22-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y. native who now lives in Raleigh, N.C. ”This is what I train for, that's why I shoveled the snow off North Carolina tracks. That's why I'm here. I'm here to win the gold medal.”
In the days preceding the race, Gatlin listened quietly while Greene, Crawford and Powell proclaimed themselves the front-runners. When Crawford said the only person who could beat him was himself, Gatlin responded, ”Beat yourself up!”
Sure enough, Crawford got off to a bad start and never was a factor. With no clear leader as the race drew to a close, Gatlin took control near the very end, shedding a few tears after he crossed the finish line, then dropping to his knees and clasping his hands in prayer.
Crawford, his training partner, gave him a big hug and screamed, ”Do you know what you just did?”
”That race on his part was almost flawless,” Crawford said later. ”That was the race of his life. I'm just glad I was part of the field that helped push him to that. I know he's going to carry that title, Olympic gold medalist in the 100, with honor and dignity.”
As for Greene, it was another valiant effort in a resurrected career for the three-time world champion. After breaking his leg in a motorcycle crash two years ago, some thought he would never regain the form that propelled him to Olympic gold in 2000.
Even after failing to become the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 and 1988 to win back-to-back Olympic 100s, the ever-confident Greene said he's still the greatest sprinter of all time.
”I have numerous things that I've accomplished, and I don't think there's another sprinter out there who has accomplished the things that I have,” Greene said. ”I'm making it hard for the next person to come along and do things better than me. So until then, I'll be the greatest.”
Powell, who had the second-fastest time this season in 9.91, finished fifth in 9.94 after stumbling from the blocks.
Gatlin, who won six NCAA titles in his two seasons at Tennessee, is the youngest winner since Jim Hines at the 1968 Mexico City Games. Gatlin turned 22 on February 10; Hines had just turned 22 when he won.
”The race was magnificent. The only way I knew the race was great is because I watched it on TV,” Gatlin said. ”I couldn't even feel the race. I felt that I was 100 miles in front of everybody. It was so close, but that's what I felt.”
Athanasia Tsoumeleka of Greece got the crowd going early Monday, winning the 20-kilometer walk in 1 hour, 29.12 seconds, then parading around the stadium with a Greek flag. Olimpiada Ivanova of Russia won the silver in a time of 1:29.16, while Australia's Jane Saville took bronze with 1:29.25.
Meanwhile, 37-year-old Gail Devers had her dreams of winning a medal in the 100 hurdles shattered Sunday, when she failed to clear the first hurdle because of a strained left calf. One of the greatest hurdlers of all time, Devers has gold medals in the 100 and 400 relay, but nothing from her signature event.
Disaster always seems to strike every four years. She slammed into the last hurdle while leading the 1992 Olympic final, crawling to the finish line in fifth place. In 1996, she missed a medal by a hundredth of a second. In 2000, she injured her hamstring in the semifinal and pulled up after five hurdles.
”I'm nowhere near being a failure because what God has blessed me with is endurance and mental strength,” Devers said in a statement. ”And regardless of obstacles I'm faced with, I'm going to conquer them.”
Also Sunday, Sweden led all nations with three gold medals after Stefan Holm won the high jump and Christian Olsson took the triple jump. On Saturday, Carolina Kluft won the heptathlon.
Mizuki Noguchi of Japan won the women's marathon over the ancient course that gave the race its name. Deena Kastor was third, giving the United States its first marathon medal since Joan Benoit's gold in Los Angeles 20 years ago.
”It's incredible,” Kastor said. ”I was in tears the whole last lap.”
Adrian Annus of Hungary won the gold medal in the hammer throw. Greece's Fani Halkia thrilled the home crowd by setting an Olympic record of 52.77 seconds in her 400-meter hurdles semifinal.
Befitting this drug-plagued year for the sport, officials said the first woman to win a gold medal at Ancient Olympia — Russian shot putter Irina Korzhanenko — is under investigation for a positive test.
Gatlin also has had problems with drugs.
He tested positive for an amphetamine at the 2001 U.S. junior championships. The drug was contained in prescription medication Gatlin had been taking for 10 years to treat a form of attention deficit disorder.
The International Association of Athletics Federations gave him early reinstatement from a two-year ban in July 2002. But the IAAF said a second violation would lead to a life ban.
His mother, Jeanette Gatlin, said he just told her one day he didn't need the medication anymore.
”He said, 'I can concentrate and focus' and obviously running track he can concentrate and focus,' she said. ”So we just took him at his word.”