No redemption for Devers

NO sweet redemption for Gail Devers. Gold for Sweden and Ludmila Engquist in the 100 metres hurdles on a night when Scandinavia took two of the three track golds on offer in Atlanta.

Devers, the 100 metre sprint champion at these Games and in Barcelona, is perhaps equally well remembered for her famous stumble over the last hurdle of the 100 metre hurdles final in Barcelona. The slip turned a clear lead into a fifth placing.

Last night, Devers struggled all the way through and failed to make the medals as Engquist (formerly Narozhilenko of Russia) skimmed home to gold in 12.58 seconds. The win represented redemption of sorts for Engquist who, in 1994, had a four year ban for drugs overturned under the "exceptional circumstances" rule when she argued that her husband had spiked her food with drugs. She has since moved to Sweden and married a placid Swede.

Devers was forced out of the medals in a photo finish with second place going to Bngitta Bukovec of Slovenia and third being claimed by Patricia Girard Leno off France.

The men's 800 metres final, meanwhile, was deprived of the presence of the fastest man in the world this year but still managed to produce some sensation.

Wilson Kipketer, now resident in Denmark, was refused permission to compete for his adoptive country by the Kenyan athletics federation. Kenya couldn't prevent the gold going to Scandinavia anyway. Norway's Vebjorn Rodal came out of the pack on the back straight to take a merited win.

Just 23 years old and a bronze medallist in Gothenburg last year having led the field till the 600 metre mark, Rodal becomes the first Norwegian to win gold at the summer Games since 1956. Rodal had recorded the second fastest time of the year after Kipketer last month but only qualified for this final as a fastest loser.

Rodal's finishing time of 1:42.58 was a new personal best and a new Olympic record. The race represented the first time in history that four men had dipped under 1.42 in the same race.

Hezekiel Sepeng of South Africa was second with Fred Onyaacha of Kenya taking the bronze.

The 800 metres final was probably the last appearance at a major championship of the self professed "grandfather of the 800" the popular American, Johnny Gray. Now 36, the Californian was competing in his fourth successive final in the event, having finished seventh in Los Angeles, fifth in Seoul and third in Barcelona.

"Improving by two places every time, now means one thing," he said impishly after the heats.

In the end, Gray finished off a distinguished career where he started it, with a seventh place. Having led the field to the 600 mark, he was swallowed up on the home straight.

There was a sudden change in plot in the women's 400 metres hurdles final when the race, for so long billed as the showdown between the two fastest women in history at this distance, was pinched by the woman, who, until last night, was sixth fastest. Deon Hemmings of Jamaica pinched the gold with America's Kim Batten and Tonya Buford Bailey trailing behind her.

The rivalry between Buford Bailey and Batten has taken on epic dimensions over the past few years as both grew in prominence. Last night's winner, Hemmings, has previously been cast as an extra in these one minute dramas.

Batten won the World Championship in Gothenburg last summer with just .01 of a second to spare over her rival Buford Bailey in the fastest race in history. Hemmings trailed in for the bronze.

Last night's race, which was to have been the battle of the two Americans, played out before a raucously partisan crowd hungry for another world record, was won in the fifth fastest time in history, inching Hemmings up a historical notch.

The Jamaican started strongly, running in the lane between the two Americans and, as the stagger worked itself out over the last bend, it became clear that Hemmings had a yard or so lead on the two Americans who, in turn, were three or four yards ahead of the rest of the field.

The gold medal was Hemmings's first major triumph at world level since being a student champion in her late teens.

Meanwhile, Linford Christie, disqualified in dramatic circumstances from the 100 metres final, will not be making amends in the 200. In the last of the five afternoon second round heats, Christie exited in fourth place in 20.59 second behind Trinidad's Ato Boldon.

The semi finals and finals of the 200 metres take place today.