ATHLETICS:GOD KNOWS what Flo Jo would have thought of it, the way the American women broke the sprint relay world record, the way Carmelita Jeter celebrated it.
On another night of great performances, and even greater contradictions, the spotlight – or rather baton – was handed back from the Jamaicans, to the Americans, when four women stole the show and ran one lap of the track in 40.82 seconds.
Not since the industrial steroid revolution of the 1980s has any country run so fast, when four women from the former German Democratic Republic clocked 41.37, and set one of the oldest records in the books. The Americans completely smashed that, averaging 10.2 seconds for each 100 metres, which even accounting for the running start, is still notably quicker than Flo Jo’s still all-conquering world record of 10.49, run back in 1988.
But then Jeter, with her 10.64, is the fastest woman on earth, as Flo Jo is no longer alive.
Anyway, at about 10pm, for the second night in succession, we drifted towards the press conference room, waiting for someone to explain how history was made: in walked Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight and Jeter, and clearly the record run had meant a lot.
“I knew that these girls were going to run their hearts out, and I knew we were running our hearts out,” said Jeter.
“So I was already pointing at the clock, saying ‘there it is’. There was a cloud hanging over us, with people saying ‘they can’t do this, they’re going to drop the stick’ but we did it.
“I knew that if we got the stick around then all I had to do was to bring it home.”
Felix already has a gold medal from the 200 metres, and running the second leg, set up this gold too. “Who would have thought that we would have had a world record tonight?” said Felix.
“It’s amazing. Our names are going down in history.
“And for us to win, first time since 1996, it’s a relief. When we went into this, we were the most comfortable I have seen this team. We were laughing and smiling and I have never seen the team like that. It was a combination of practice and being comfortable with each other.
“Everyone has been having fantastic years.”
Indeed they have – but if that record seemed to contradict history, there were even contradictions to follow, including another absurdly unlikely victory in the 1,500 metres, the Americans being out-gunned by the Bahamas in the 4x400m relay, and the very last man left standing on the track being the man with no legs.
A bit of a contraction, too, in the final of the women’s 5,000 metres – as Meseret Defar stunned her Ethiopian team-mate Tirunesh Dibaba to reclaim the Olympic title she’d won in Athens back in 2004, and thus deny Dibaba a distance double-double for the first time in history.
Indeed Dibaba only ended up third, Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot coming through for silver: “I’m not very pleased,” said Dibaba. “I gave it a good shot, but I wasn’t aiming for bronze. I’m a bit disappointed, but in a way I’m not sad because I did finish in a medal position.”
That was followed by Asli Cakir Alptekin leading home a Turkish one-two in the women’s 1,500 metres, with Gamze Bulut coming through for silver, and stunning not just their opposition, but large sections of the press area. Alptekin served a two-year doping ban in 2006, hadn’t run anywhere at all this year until June, and is now the Olympic champion – and the less written about that race right now the better.
But pity the American, Morgan Uceny, who was tripped and fell just after the bell, and promptly smacked the track in frustration.
It didn’t work out as planned for the Americans either in the men’s 4x400 metres relay, as the Bahamas reversed the result of four years and struck gold – their first ever. Britain’s Martyn Rooney ran a great last leg but couldn’t run into the medals, missing bronze by 0.13 sec.
Last team home were the South Africans, with their last man, Oscar Pistorius, not quite getting the fairytale ending he was hoping for, but he’ll be back in London in a few weeks for the Paralympics.
There appeared to be some contradiction, too, in the faces of the Irish women’s 4x400m team, after they finished sixth in their semi-final, their time of 3:30.55 a season’s best, but well down on their Irish record of 3:27.48 which might have given them some chance of making the final.
“Well this is the biggest stage of all, and that was just a massive experience,” said Joanne Cuddihy, who ran a brilliant leg to bring them from eighth, the fifth. “And I know we all enjoyed every second, and it was just fantastic to be a part of these Olympics.
