Vladimir Salnikov: The 15 Minute Man

In Olympic sport there have been several events which have had a time, distance or points barrier which seem impenetrable until that one unique Olympian achieves that breakthrough. In gymnastics it was the perfect 10, first scored by Nadia Comaneci at the 1976 Montreal Olympics during the women's team event. In cycling's team pursuit Germany broke the 4 minute barrier at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, whilst Jayne Torville and Christopher Dean took the honours for being the first ice dancers to skate to perfect 6's in the Winter Olympics. Olympic swimming has had its own record barriers to break including the sub-minute 100 metres freestyle for men and women, yet it is arguably the 15 minute men's 1500 metres that held the most imposing aura for most of the modern Olympics era. Considering that in the recently completed Beijing Olympics final all bar the last swimmer in the gold medal race went under this mark it could be argued that 15 minutes was possible, and now it is commonplace. However it took a remarkable Russian swimmer from the Soviet era to take long distance swimming into this uncharted territory, and when he did it twice in the Olympics there were eight years and two boycotts between those swims. His name was Vladimir Salnikov, and he was the first man to swim past the 15 minute barrier.

Salnikov's first stuttering steps on the path to Olympic glory came in his home town of Leningrad, now known in the post-Soviet era as Saint Petersburg. The son of Valeri Salnikov (a merchant ship's captain) he was taken by his mother Valentina at the age of seven to a local pool for a season's pass. At a time when quota's and supplies of all goods and services were limited by the Soviet state it was not surprising that Salnikov missed out on the much-wanted ticket. Next year he returned with his mother and was fortunate to secure a season's pass, plus the attention of swim coach Gleb Petrov. Petrov studied Salnikov's movements on land as well as his eagerness to swim and selected the boy to participate in a 120 member local swim training program. The Soviet system of applying science and beaurocracy to sport was applied in full on developing Salnikov's youthful talent, and by the age of 12 he was part of an elite Leningrad sporting school's swim team. Despite earaches and tonsilitis Salnikov continued to improve and whilst his family weren't involved with his swimming Salnikov later believed his father's stern way of dealing with him helped motivate his work in the pool.

By 1974 Salnikov was attracting more attention from the Soviet sporting system, and in turn new support from new coaches. Coach Igor Koshkin and sports psychologist Gennady Gorbunov helped bring Salnikov on so that he was primed for the 1976 Soviet Olympic trials, with a training regime that included 6 kilometres swimming per day (swum at intervals with his heartbeat between 145 and 155 beats per minute), an hour's weightlifting and only five to ten minute rest breaks. At the 1976 trials Salinkov also utilised visualisation techniques provided by Gorbunov to swim the 1500 metres in 15.43.92, coming third. This gave him the opportunity to participate later that year in the greatest 1500 metres final held in the first 80 years of the modern Olympics.

The 1976 1500 metres final in Montreal was remarkable in that the gold, silver and bronze medallists all finished below the pre-games world record. Americans Brian Goodell and Bobby Hackett took more than four and two seconds off Goodall's world record in their swims, whilst Australian favourite also came in under the mark. Salnikov was the first Soviet swimmer to qualify for the 1500 metres final at the Olympics and came fifth with 15.29.45, which was a dramatic drop from his trial swim. It was to be the last time that an American would win the 1500 metres at an Olympics with either Soviet or Russian swimmers competing in the same pool.

In the period from the 1978 World Swimming Championships in Berlin through to the 1980 Moscow Olympics Salnikov grew into the role of the Soviet's first swimming superstar. In the pool at Berlin he won both the 400 metres and 1500 metres freestyle finals, setting championships records with both swims and in the latter final beating Olympic silver medallist Bobby Hackett by almost 20 seconds. His time for the 400 metres was a world record (3.51.94) and he also backed up to participate in the silver medal winning Soviet men's 4x200 metre relay team. Meanwhile as part of his development and training Salnikov attended training camps in of all places Mission Veijo, California with US coach Mark Schubert. At a time when Soviet and US relations where dominated by the Cold War it was refreshing to see that the sport of swimming could bridge such a cavernous political gap. As Vladimir himself put the experience:

"I really got an idea of what big-time sport is all about after two weeks training in the United States. We had believed we weren't any different to the Americans, but we were unable to understand why they swam faster and won most of the medals at world tournaments. It turned out that their training methods and their attitude to training were different."

In 1979 Salnikov set a world record the non-Olympic distance of 800 metres, becoming the first person to swim under 8 minutes for the event. As the premiere distance swimmer in the world his position as favourite for at least the 1500 metres gold medal in Moscow was virtually unassailable. In the four years between Montreal and Moscow Salnikov swam the eight fastest times aside from Goodell's world record over 1500 metres, and under 15 minutes 10 seconds 6 times. The 1976 gold medallist (and pupil of Mark Schubert) Bobby Goodell was still in the 1500 metres swim game but he had finished fifth at the US Olympic swim trials with Mike Bruner the new American champ, whilst Australian 'superfish' Steve Holland had retired after he took bronze in Montreal. and been supplanted by Max Metzker. The Swimming World Magazine world swimmer of the year for 1979 was prepared for the apogee of his career in the first Olympics to be held behind the Iron Curtain.

As noted elsewhere the 1980 Moscow Olympics were marked by the US-led boycott which resulted from Soviet aggression in Afghanistan. In men's swimming the absence of the Americans, West Germans, Japanese and Canadians had a mixed effect; in some events such as the shorter sprints the non-appearance of the likes of Rowdy Gaines meant that East German and Soviet Union swimmers claimed medals they may not have had a claim to in more open competition. For Salnikov the boycott had taken away one of his major competitors in the 400 metres (Canadian world record holder Peter Szmidt), but it arguably had minimal effect on his 1500 metres swim. Salnikov had already taken the short-course 1500 metres world record from Goodell; now it was the time of the long course event.

The 1500 metres heats were held second day of the Moscow Olympic swimming program, and there were a total of 21 competitors from 14 countries. In the first heat Hungarian Zoltán Wladár won with a time of 15.31.06, whilst in the second heat the compatriot of Salnikov Aleksandr Chayev took out the race in 15.28.68. That same heat saw second place swimmer from the 1978 Berlin 1500 metres Borut Petric (YUG) finish in 15.31. 53, but three other swimmers in that heat failed to complete the race. The final heat was all Salnikov; he completed the 1500 metres in 15.08.25 which placed him over 9 seconds quicker than second place swimmer East German Rainer Strohbach. The line up for the final saw Salnikov in the fastest qualification time, with Strohbach second quickest, Chayev third and Rafael Escalas (ESP) fourth.

Remarkably, considering the recent history of Olympic 1500 metres finals the race for gold silver and bronze in Moscow was held the day immediately after the heats. Unlike in games such as those in Beijing, Athens and Sydney the contestants had to back up without the benefit of a day's rest, plus there were other events to swim for some of the entrants (for example Salnikov still had his 400 metres). In light of this, Salnikov's 1980 final swim can be considered all the more remarkable compared with those from the likes of Perkins and Hackett in later years.

When Salnikov finally dived off the blocks he was undoubtedly the pinnacle of the Soviet swimming program, and without the Americans to threaten this the Russian quickly established his ascendency over the pack. At 100 metres he was already a second in front of the nearest rival with an intermediate time of 58.53 seconds. By 300 metres that lead was doubled, and at the half way mark Salnikov was 5.18 seconds ahead of Goodell's then current world record pace. The spectators who naturally were overwhelmingly biased towards their home town hero responded to the Soviet swimmer's efforts, screaming and calling for him to win and win withing the world record. At 800 metres he was still under the minute per 100 metres mark, and the 1500 metres in 15 minutes looked very vulnerable.

Behind Salnikov the battle for the minor medals was on, with Chayev, Metzker and Strohbach all fighting hard; however they were never in the hunt for gold, which was Salnikov's without a doubt as he came to the last 100 metres. Goaded by a crowd that knew that they were witnessing something historic Salnikov responded in the only way he could; he swam even quicker. For the last 100 metres he completed the two laps in 58.05 seconds; almost half a seocnd quicker than his first 100 metres. As his hands hit the finishing wall Vladimir Salnikov looked up to the scoreboard. The time flashed up: 14.58.27. The son of a Leningrad sea captain, who's country had never won a gold medal in men's swimming before these Olympics, and who had swum fifth in his last Olympic final, had claimed the greatest prize of all. A gold medal in a time that would forever mark him as the first of his kind; the first to go below 15 minutes.

At this point it could be enough to finish Salnikov's story. He took two more gold medals in Moscow, one in the 400 metres and one in the 4x200 metres men's relay final. Yet this isn't the end. Four years later Salnikov would have gone to Los Angeles as the world record holder, being the only man who had swum under 15 minutes. However in a tit-for-tat boycott the Soviet Bloc spurned the chance to compete in the LA 1984 Olympics, and so Salnikov had to wait for another chance to claim a fouth Olympic gold medal.

In Seoul 1988 Salnikov returned to the Olympic pool forone last games. Up until 1986 he had won 61 consecutive 1500 metres swims, swum under 15 minutes for the distance four times and no one else had come within a bull's roar of his world record of 15.54.76. However his results had slumped since coming fourth at the 1986 world swimming championships, and in 1987 he failed to make the final of the European championships. Written off as a threat for gold, now coached by his wife Marina and only winning a place on the Soviet team after intervention from the sports minister, the hero of Moscow looked decidedly vulnerable.

In the preliminaries though the Salnikov of old re-emerged, clocking the second fastest time (15.07.83), with American Matt Cetlinksi fastest qualifer for the final. Then as the greatest Olympic champions can and often do respond, in the final Salnikov took the lead from 675 metres and was never headed. Surging ahead with every lap the last gold medallist for the Soviet Union in an Olympic swimming final took the race in a time of 15.00.40, thus becoming at 28 the owner of the five fastest times for the 1500 metres ever swum, and the oldest Olympic swimming champion for 56 years. His world record stood until 1991, and whilst that time is now down to 14.34.56 the status of being the first man to swim 1500 metres under 15 minutes will forever be his. Vladamir Salnikov in 1980 and in 1988 demonstrated greatness that will always mark him as a legend of Olympic swimming.



Sources:

• "The Complete Book of the Olympics: 2008 Edition" by David Wallechinsky, Aurum Press, 2008
• "The Official Report of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games" (available online at http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1980/or1980v3.pdf)
• USA Swimming - 1980 Olympic Trials Results: http://www.usaswimming.org/USASWeb/_Rainbow/Documents/e271d644-d2df-4cdb-8bd5-1ee19b261e2c/1980.pdf
• "Australia at the Olympics" by Malcolm Andrews, ABC Books, 1996
• "100 Greatest Olympians from 1896" by Jim Tracy, Savvas Publishing, 1983
• Sports Illustrated - "From Stillness Comes Swiftness" (21/5/84): http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1122098/1/index.htm
• Sports Illustrated - "Russia Gets Into The Swim" (4/8/1980): http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1123650/index.htm
• IOC Biography - Vladimir Salnikov: http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/profiles/bio_uk.asp?PAR_I_ID=43061
• Wikipedia - Vladamir Salnikov Biography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Salnikov
• International Swimming Hall of Fame - Valdamir Salnikov: http://www.ishof.org/honorees/93/93vsalnikov.html
• Wikipedia - 1978 World Swimming Championships Berlin Results: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_World_Aquatics_Championships
• "Ten Soviet Sports Stars" by Yuri Khromov, Brandon Books 1990

Thorpe Versus Hall: Whose Guitars Got Smashed?

Several countries in the modern Olympics would look to one sport and perceive it to be 'their' domain, the place where their Olympians traditionally excelled against the opposition. For the Swedes and the Hungarians it could be said they both share the modern pentathlon as 'their' Olympic sport. Kenyans and Ethiopians have come to dominate long distance running, whilst India still feels great attachment to men's field hockey. In the Winter Olympics the Canadians are emotionally and historically attached to ice hockey, whilst Norwegians look to cross-country skiing as a particularly strong part of their Olympic identity. And for Australia the overwhelming sport of interest at the Olympics is swimming. Unfortunately for Gary Hall Jnr and his American compatriots at the Sydney 2000 Olympics a quote that smacked of arrogance provoked the most memorable response from an Australian men's 4x100 metres freestyle relay team that was determined to make the greatest swimming power in Olympic history show some respect in the Aussie's own home pool.

Prior to the Sydney 2000 Olympics the 4x100 metres freestle relay was literally American property. First contested as an Olympic event in 1964 at Tokyo, with a short interregnum over the Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980 Olympics, the record stood at seven finals and seven team golds for the US. Australian male swimmers in this period came closest to defeating an American team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics when the so-called "Mean Machine" of Greg Fasala, Neil Brooks, Mark Stockwell and Michael Delany swam beneath world record time in coming second behind the US swimmers Chris Cavanaugh, Michael Heath, Matt Biondi and Rowdy Gaines. For a sporting nation proud of their legendary swimmers such as Dawn Fraser, Murray Rose, John Devitt, Mike Wenden and Shane Gould the 4x100 metres freestyle relay was akin to a holy grail; to win that event's gold would show the world that Australian swimmers meant to show up the brasher, bigger, more successful Yanks.

Leading up to the Sydney 2000 Olympics the swimming stocks of several nations in the men's sprint distances were very strong; perhaps stronger over a wider range of nations than had been seen for some time. For the Russians the legendary Aleksandr Popov led their 100 metres charge, having successfully defended his Barcelona 100 metres title in Atlanta, hence aiming for a third gold in Sydney. Lars Frolander was a well credentialled Swedish swimmer who had clocked a sub-49 second time for the 100 metres, whilst Dutch favourite Pieter Van den Hoogenband was a candidate for individual sprint glory and could be the decisive factor for a Netherlands relay team. Yet when it came down to the previews before the Sydney 2000 swim program the battle for 4x100 metres relay gold was expected to be a fight between the underdog Australia and the traditional top ranked Americans.

In the Australian Olympic swimming trials held at the Homebush Aquatic Centre (venue for the Sydney 2000 swim meet) the top four finishers in the men's 100 metres freestyle were Michael Klim (48.56 seconds), Chris Fydler (48.85), Ashley Callus (49.46) and Ian Thorpe (49.74). Of these swimmers Klim and Thorpe had the highest profiles, as the former was a world record holder in the 100 metres butterfly plus a four times world champion two years earlier, whilst the latter was emerging as the greatest male swimmer seen in Australia since Murray Rose. Michael Klim and Chris Fydler had both swum as part of the Australian men's 4x100 metres freestyle relay team in Atlanta where they came sixth, whilst 'The Thorpedo' had set three world records in three days at the Australian swim trials. Callus had won gold with the Australians in the 1998 Kuala Lumpar Commonwealth Games, and so the four leading sprinters in the green and gold had a very respectable aura surrounding them leading into Sydney 2000.

Across the Pacific the US swim trials for the 100 metres men's freestyle were held as late as August 13th 2000 in Indianopolis. The first four finishers in this event's final were Neil Walker (48.71), Gary Hall Jnr (48.84), Scott Tucker (48.95) and Jason Lezak (49.15). Far and away the most famous of these men was the outspoken Gary Hall Jnr. Hall's family had a history of Olympic swimming, and during the 1996 Atlanta games the brash American had duelled both in and out of the water with Russian gold medallist Popov. Like Hall, Tucker was a member of the 1996 US 4x100 metres freestyle team that had won gold, whilst Lezak and Walker were looking to debut in Sydney. On paper these times meant there was less than a second between the leading four swimmers from Australia and America; the upcoming relay was looking to be a highlight of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Then, in an article posted via the CNN/Sports Illustrated website by Gary Hall Jnr in his online diary on August 22nd a supposed joke or even qualified sign of respect poured oil on the flames of the rivalry between the US and Australian swim teams. Hall Jnr wrote:

"I like Australia, in truth. I like Australians. The country is beautiful, and the people are admirable. Good humor and genuine kindness seem a predominant characteristic. My biased opinion says that we will smash them like guitars. Historically the U.S. has always risen to the occasion. But the logic in that remote area of my brain says it won't be so easy for the United States to dominate the waters this time. Whatever the results, the world will witness great swimming."

The Australian media and in turn the Australian swim team grabbed this quote, highlighting the 'guitar smashing' section particularly and then using it to both pour scorn on what was considered American arrogance and motivate further a very driven Australian swim team. After the event and even as recently as the lead up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics Gary Hall Jnr's comments drew attention for their role in the build up to the gold medal relay race in the Sydney Olympic pool. However before the final there were three heats, all swum on the morning of Saturday 16th September, the day after the spectacular opening ceremony.

The first heat saw Dutch hopes crash when their team was disqualified, and though Van Den Hoogenband didn't participate it destroyed his chances of leading the Netherlands to a relay gold. The German men won this heat in a time of 3.18.70, against a relatively weaker team, with the Italians in second and Belarus third. The next heat saw Australia, Russia and Sweden debut their teams with Ian Thorpe and Michael Klim not racing. Thorpe was swimming in the 400 metres freestyle heats and final on the first day of the Sydney 2000 program, and if there was one potential weakness in the make-up of the Aussie team it was whether or not the 17 year old could back up after his main individual event. Todd Pearson and Adam Pine stepped into the team and registered both first place and a time more than two seconds faster than second place team Russia (including Popov). Sweden, France and South Africa filled the third to fifth positions in this heat. The final heat was won by the Americans who rested Hall and Walker, bringing in Josh Davis (an Atlanta relay gold medallist) and Anthony Ervin. Ervin's participation in the heat was in itself an historic event, as he was the first US Olympic swimmer with an African American background to swim at the Olympics. The US team swam the fastest time of all three heats, beating the Brazilians home in 3.15. 43. Scott Tucker's time as the lead was somewhat disappointing, and when the US relay team was confirmed for the final he was dropped for Ervin. It appeared that with the Americans bringing in Hall Jnr and Tucker who were both faster than the second best Australian (Callus), and with Thorpe having to swim the 400 metres final, the gold logically should go to the US. Yet logic doesn't always contribute to the make up of an Olympic Games gold medal final.

Come the finals on the first night of the Olympic swimming program in Sydney and 17,500 spectators filled the Aquatic Centre, with all Australians there plus millions at home watching to see how Ian Thorpe would swim in his 400 metres final. The current world record holder the 'Thorpedo' was never really threatened by his rivals, winning gold in a time of 3.40.59; a new world record (breaking his own mark) and streeting his nearest competitor Massimiliano Rosolino by almost three seconds. As his competitors finished the race Thorpe signalled his satsfaction with a determined two handed fist pump slightly betrayed by a small grin, and then it was time to prepare for the 4x100 metres freestyle relay final.

Meanwhile the Americans had changed their line up for the final, dropping Tucker in favour of Ervin. Ervin's time in the relay heat earlier that day was the quickest of the four Americans who swam, whereas Tucker's time was slightly slower than Chris Fydler who had swum the first leg for the Australians in their heat. The teams who then lined up were matched as follows:

• Klim versus Ervin
• Walker versus Fydler
• Lezak versus Callus
• Thorpe versus Hall Jnr

As the eight finalist teams lined up at the blocks for the start of the 4x100 metres freestyle final there was one man missing. Thorpe was struggling with his swimsuit which required 4 people to help him change, and unlike his compatriots who were able to leisurely (if nervously) prepare, greeting the announcing of their names to the massively pro-Aussie crowd, Thorpe had to race out, making the start just in time. Mounting the blocks and under the starter's orders the shaved down Michael Klim was ready for the swim of his life.

With the starter's signal sending the relay teams down their respective lanes for 8 laps Klim went out hard and very, very fast. By 15 seconds into Klim's leg he had already established half a body length on Ervin, and when Klim touched the wall at the end of the first lap the Australian's time of 22.83 seconds was looking good for a new world record. The gap extended as the second lap continued, and by the time Klim reached the end of his leg he had swum a new world record time for the 100 metres freestyle for men; 48.18 seconds. Then it was the turn of Fydler and Walker. Chris Fylder kept the lead for his first 50 metres, but then in the back half of his leg Neil Walker grabbed the lead. This would have possibly been the time in past Olympic men's freestyle relays when the US team would storm to an unassailable claim on gold. Yet Fydler responded, no doubt spurred on by the deafening screams of the Australian fans. As the rest of the field slid further back in the wake of the Australian and the American the first half of the relay ended with Chris Fydler touching the wall for an aggregate time of 1.36.66; 1.77 seconds under world record pace.

Lezak for America and Callus for Australia were the third pair into the pool for their respective teams, and within th early stages of their respective legs Lezak took the lead. Keeping this for almost three quarters of the 100 metres that he swum the American was matched near the end, then surpassed almost imperceptably by Anthony Callus. The third ranked Aussie male over 100 metres had given Ian Thorpe what he need; a lead (if small) over the man who had made the not-so-funny now jibe about smashing the Australians like guitars. The 4x100 metres freestyle title would either be won by a man who was at his first Olympics, and had just won a gold medal in the 400 metres whilst breaking his own world record. Or it would be won by an extroverted and experienced sprint swimming expert who already had relay gold from Atlanta, plus he swam for a country with an undefeated relay history at the Olympics.

Hall began excellently and with a dramatic turn of speed and high stroke rate almost instantkly caught then passed the Thorpedo. The Aussie's arms seemed to move in slow motion, languidly curving into the water as his size 8 feet acted like flippers; but at the end of the seventh lap it was the Americans with the lead, and Gary Hall Jr had them still under world record time. Again, in another Olympics and with other swimmers the US could have, would have...nay should have swum away for a tight gold medal victory. Yet with about 20 metres to go Thorpe's inexorable momentum took hundredths of a second away from the brash American. The crowd in the Sydney Olympic swimming venue literally shouted through the roof as their home town hero (who lived as a boy only half an hour's drive from Homebush, Sydney's Olympic precinct) swam the race of his lifetime, if not of anyone's lifetime. As the two leaders swam under the false start rope at 15 metres to go it looked almost dead level between them. The wall approached and with a final surge of his amazingly powerful teenage body Thorpe grabbed the lead; Hall swept to the finish too but in a result which broke the world record, ended American Olympic dominance and defined this 4x100 metres relay as probably the greatest team swim ever seen at an Olympic Games Ian Thorpe beat the American home by 0.19 of a second. The Australian men had won gold with a final time of 3.13.67, the Americans were second in 3.13.86, and almost as an afterthought the Brazilians took bronze.

Then came the exuberant Australian 'get square' to the now not-so-brash Gary Hall Jr; as Thorpe climbed out on the pool deck Chris Fydler, Anthony Callus and a surly Michael Klim formed an air guitar trio that strummed a silent but pointed note of 'take that' to the Americans. It was in the opinion of legendary Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser "probably the greatest race I have ever seen", whilst Thorpe was to say later the relay gold medal meant more to him than his 400 metres. He said "being able to share that experience with three other swimmers was incredible," and for Michael Klim he had the good fortune to have Thorpe confirm he had swum a world record time for his first 100 metres leg.

In the silver medal winning American team the reaction was understandably ruefull. Hall looked back on the race and said:“I don’t even know how to play the guitar,” but he was gracious in defeat: “I consider it the best relay race I’ve ever been part of. I doff my cap to the great Ian Thorpe. He swum better than I did.”

At the Summer Olympic Games which then IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch called the best ever, this 4x100 metres men's freestyle relay was the best team swim in the entire history of the modern Olympics.



Sources:

• "The Complete Book of the Olympics: 2008 Edition" by David Wallechinsky, Aurum Press, 2008
• "The Time of Our Lives: Inside the Sydney Olympics" by Harry Gordon, UQP , 2003
• Sports Illustrated - "Fast Lanes" (25/9/00): http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1020434/1/index.htm
• Yahoo Video - Special Sydney Moments: http://au.sports.yahoo.com/olympics/video/-/olympic-legends/sydney-moments/
• Wikipedia - Ian Thorpe Biography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Thorpe
• Wikipedia - Gary Hall Jr Biography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Hall,_Jr.
• Wikipedia - Anthony Ervin Biography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Ervin
• "The Official Report of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games" (available online at http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2000/2000v2.pdf)
• CNN Sports Illustrated Sydney 2000 Web Site: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/news/2000/usteam_swimming_men/
• CNN Sports Illustrated Sydney 2000 - "We Have Our Work Cut Out For Us" by Gary Hall Jr :
• http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/news/2000/08/22/hall_five/
• CNN Sports Illustrated Sydney 2000 - "Everybody Loves Ian" by Brian Cazeneuve : http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2000/swimming/news/2000/09/16/cazeneuve_olympics/
• Official Site of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games (Pandora Archives): http://pandora.nla.gov.au/parchive/2000/olympics/O2000-Sep-16/www.olympics.com/eng/index.html
• Times Online - Caught in Time (26/9/2006): http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article650053.ece
• ABC Radio Sydney 2000 Website: http://www.abc.net.au/olympics/2000/coverage/default.htm
• Swedish Swimmers - Lars Froelander Results: http://www.scmsom.se/swimmers/Lars%20Frolander%20SB.htm
• USA Swimming 2000 Olympic Trials Results: http://www.usaswimming.org/USASWeb/_Rainbow/Documents/21760d2b-41b4-4016-b7b5-cb87259ef5a9/2000_olympic_trials_100freem.htm
• Omega Timing: Australian Selection Trials Sydney 2000 Olympic Swimming: http://omegatiming.com/swimming/racearchives/2000/sydney2000/100-FREE-M-CLAS-FINAL-SER.PDF
• "16 Days in September: Australian Games Highlights of the XXVII Olympiad" DVD, Channel 7 Coverage adapted from SOBO Official Broadcast, Warner Bros/IOC

Dick Fosbury: A Flop And A Gold Medallist

As noted in another entry in this compilation of the 101 Greatest Olympic Moments, the 1968 Mexico City Olympics saw a leap or two into the record books. One was incredibly long, thanks to the efforts of Bob Beamon who launched himself into Olympic history with his 8.91 metre sail into the men's long jump pit. However Beamon wasn't the only US field athlete to grab his particular event by the scruff of the neck and turn it into something new and revolutionary. The other was Richard 'Dick' Fosbury, a student at the University of Oregon who began the downfall of the old Olympic high jump routine of western and eastern rolls, scissors and straddle jumps with his eponymous "Fosbury Flop".

Dick Fosbury started his career as a high jumper without such revolutionary technical visions. In fifth grade at school Fosbury discovered through his own body shape that of all athletic events the high jump was perhaps the most apt for him, and starting with the scissor technique by the age of 16 he had changed to the straddle then back to scissors, with a backwards twist helping him hit 1.75 metres (5ft 10 in). Gradually changing his layout over the bar into an almost horizontal position, by 1965 and his senior year in high school the combination of the backward layout over the high jump bar had almost completed its evolution for Fosbury, taking him to a height of 1.98 metres. It was at a national junior's meet that he was signed by Oregon State University coach Berny Wagner, which formed the final link in Fosbury's development as a 'flopping' high jumper.

Toying briefly (at Wagner's suggestion) with a return to the straddle Fosbury convinced his coach that his "Fosbury Flop" was the way to higher jumps after the coach filmed for curiousity's sake the 19 year old using his own technique. In an unexpected fashion Fosbury easily cleared 1.95 metres (6ft 6in), climbing to a possible 2.1 metres whilst wearing a pair of plaid bermuda shorts. This ensured that Dick Fosbury would take the flop to the US Track and Field selection trials for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

Meanwhile in Canada the female high jumper Debbie Brill had also discovered the results attainable from using a high jumping technique where the bar was passed backwards horizontally. The so-called "Brill Bend" may have been seen by Dick Fosbury whilst he was at OSU, however there is no evidence to show that either he nor Brill copied each other. The major difference between the two techniques was whereas the "Brill Bend" was recorded as early as 1966, the "Fosbury Flop" was the one which made the longest and most important impression at an Olympic Games, during the field program at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Unfortunately for Debbie Brill she wasn't able to match the publicity (or the Olympic success) of Dick Fosbury's high jump style.

Dick Fosbury had to take his new jumping technique to another level as part of qualifying for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Requiring a jump of 2.17 metres (7 ft 3 in) to make the US team he did so, falling only five centimetres of then men's world record holder Valery Brumel (URS). Later Fosbury narrowed the gap to only 1 inch (2.54 centimetres). However Brumel was unable to respond to the challenge from the exciting new American high jumper, and was destined not to meet Fosbury in Mexico City. Three years earlier Brumel had been involved in a motorcycle accident which almost destroyed his right leg. With the Tokyo gold medallist and world record holder unable to participate in the 1968 high jump, the field was just that little bit more open.

Like so many times in the period 1952-1988, the main challengers for the gold medal in the men's high jump at Mexico City came down to a East versus West battle. The Soviets sent two well credentialled jumpers, Valentin Gavrilov of the Dynamo Moscow club and Valery Skvortsov who had jumped 2.17 metres at the 1968 European Indoor Championships. For the US there was Fosbury and his compatriot Edward Caruthers. Caruthers like Skvortsov had been in Tokyo four years earlier (where the American came 8th, the Soviet 14th), and like all bar Fosbury used more traditional methods of clearing the high jump bar. Also competing for the US was Reynaldo Brown; he, Fosbury and Caruthers had all cleared 2.17 metres at the trials, but it was Caruthers who had won that meet (Fosbury came third). As an added wrinkle to the story of Fosbury's qualification alongside Brown and Caruthers was his flunking out of OSU and expiration of his draft deferment (Fosbury evaded military service due to a congenital spinal problem). The rarefied air of Mexico City would see a remarkable high jump competition.

Surprisingly on the day of the final itself Dick Fosbury went barely challenged. From his first starting jump right up to 2.22 metres every first attempt by Fosbury was achieved. The Mexican spectators called out "Ole!" with every leap, gaining in volume as Fosbury leapt higher. Brown dropped out at 2.14 metres, whilst Skvortsov finished in fourth with a best jump only 2 centimetres higher. The final three were Gavrilov, Caruthers and Fosbury. Wearing 802 on his top Gavrilov tried to clear 2.22 metres, which would have kept him level with the two Americans. Unfortunately for the Soviet he failed, leaving Caruthers and Fosbury to battle out for the gold.

Propelled by a mixture of self-belief, crowd support, a remarkably successful new technique and awareness that with a failed jump Fosbury would give Caruthers an opprtunity to pass him, Dick Fosbury had the bar raised to 2.24 metres. As in most of his adult high jumping career as well as for every jump he had taken at the 1968 Summer Olympics Fosbury ran in a looping curve towards the bar for this last effort. Then at the last moment he shifted from an inward lean to an outward lean, his body pivoting and spinning so that his back was to the bar. Arcing upwards Fosbury carried himself over the bar, arching his back and angling himself 90 degress from the vertical. The jump was good, the bar stayed up and the "Fosbury Flop" had taken its first practitioner to an unassailable lead. Caruthers tried to match Dick Fosbury but couldn't, thus winning the silver. The gold medal and (perhaps just as historically important) the popular 'patent' on the radical style that made 2.24 metres possible was now and forever in Dick Fosbury's possession.



Sources:

• "The Complete Book of the Olympics" by David Wallechinsky, Aurum Press 2004
• Wikipedia - Dick Fosbury Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Fosbury
• OSU Beavers Web Site: https://admin.xosn.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4700&ATCLID=822479
• GBR Athletics Official Web Site - Soviet Championship Records: http://www.gbrathletics.com/nc/urs.htm
• International Olympic Committee - Official Web Site - Richard Fosbury High Jump Revolution: http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/olympic_news/full_story_uk.asp?id=2095
• Wikipedia - Valery Skvortsov Biography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valeriy_Skvortsov
• Wikipedia - Fosbury Flop: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fosbury_Flop
• Sports Illustrated - Being Backwards Gets Results (10/2/1969): http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1082073/2/index.htm
• Sports Illustrated - Triumph & Tragedy at Tahoe (23/9/1968): http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1081605/index.htm
• "The Official Report fo the 1968 Mexico City Olympics: Volume III Part 1" (available online at http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1968/1968v3pt1.pdf)
• "The Olympic Series: Olympic Spirit" (Video), Twentieth Century Fox, 2003

Gaby Andersen-Scheiss: Staggering Into History

Up until 1984 and the games of the XXIIIrd Olympiad the iconic event of the marathon had been limited to male participation only. There had been one unoffical female runner in the very first modern Olympic marathon in Athens 1896. Greek woman Stamata Revithi was not allowed to compete by the commission in charge of entries, and so her time of approximately five and half hours (slowed by a period watching ships at the Piraeus docks) was completely unofficial (plus run a day after the actual men's event). It took 88 years before the IAAF and the IOC allowed female athletes to compete in an official Olympic marathon, and the usually smog and car-bound streets of Los Angeles were to serve as the backdrop for the debut of this most torturous of athletic events.

Before the Los Angeles 1984 games there was the usual political problems of the era, with Western and Eastern bloc countries manoeuvering for political and therefore Olympic supremacy. On May 8th 1984 the USSR announced it would not be attending the LA Olympics, citing "chauvinistic sentiments and an anti-Soviet hysteria being whipped up in the United States". Although this pretext was the official reason for the Soviet led boycott (which eventually encompassed 14 Communist countries), the most popular and reasonable assumption was this was a 'revenge' boycott, paying back the US and her supporters who had staged the Moscow 1980 boycott. In some sports and in some events this meant there was going to be a paucity of world record holders or world champions. Swimming and weightlifting for example were dramatically thinned of world ranked entrants. However the women's marathon was not as drastically effected.

Coming into the LA 1984 Olympics the two lead contenders for debut women's marathon gold were Greta Waitz (Norway), the then current world champion and Joan Benoit (USA), world record holder. Benoit had been beaten by Waitz over various distances 10 out of 11 times, and had undergone knee surgery 17 days before the US Olympic trials. Yet there was the indefinable factor of Benoit running in a hometown Olympics, with the undoubtedly major assistance of fanatically patriotic American fans. Other less favoured chances for gold were Waitz's fellow Norwegian Ingrid Kristiansen, the Portuguese runner Rosa Mota and Laura Fogli (Italy).

On the day of the event, the Los Angeles sky was clear, blue and relatively free of the smog that had been a constant threat before the actual games themselves. Fifty entrants lined up for the start at the Los Angeles Colisseum, main stadium for both the 1984 Olympics as well as the 1932 Summer Games. Amongst the competitors was one sole Swiss female runner; Gaby Andersen-Scheiss. A dual US/Swiss citizen and Idaho ski instructor, she was unheralded as a gold medal threat contrasted with Benoit and Waitz. However in a little under three hours later her efforts to reach the finish line, again in the LA Colisseum left a far more indelible image on Olympic history than the eventual medallists.

Benoit took an early lead, with a six second gap between her and the next best runners opening at the 5 km mark. By the 15 km mark this had widened to 51 seconds, with the white capped Benot striding away from Waitz, Lorraine Moller (NZL), Lisa Martin (AUS), Sylvie Ruegger (CAN), Priscilla Welch (GBR), lngrid Kristiansen (NOR), and Rosa Mota (POR). Waitz was expecting Benoit's physical condition to deteriorate as the marathon lengthened, which didn't happen. After 25 kilometres Benoit had added another minute on top of her 51 seconds lead. Andersen-Scheiss on the other hand was well back in the pack. The Swiss runner was not in the hunt for Olympic gold, but like so many Olympians before and after her it was not the winning which mattered; it was the completing her own personal goal of finishing the marathon.

Back at the front of the pack, Benoit lost some time to Waitz coming closer to the Colisseum. However she wasn't to be headed, and whilst the Norwegian got within 400 metres the American was able to finish the marathon in 2 hours 24 minutes 23 seconds, 86 seconds inf ront of the world champion. Rosa Mota who would four years later win gold in this same event at Seoul followed Waitz over the line by 39 seconds, winning bronze. Ingrid Kristiansen was fourth, Lorraine Moller fifth and Priscilla Welch sixth. Remarkably Joyce Smith (GBR) came in eleventh; a 46 year old, she was the oldest competitor in either the men's or women's track and field program at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

As Benoit relaxed from her gold medal winning efforts, mingling with the crowd and searching for stamps for her collection, the rest of the field gradually came in. Then roughly 24 minutes after Benoit had entered the final lap the Swiss runner Andersen-Scheiss staggered into the tunnel leading to the main stadium's track. Cap in hand and drenched in perspiration she began a painfully cruel yet truly Olympic final 400 metres, cheered by the crowds as she lurched towards the finish line.

With the final straight and finish line ahead she kept slowly limping on, her white cap back shading her drawn and anguished face. Officials beside the track stood back as doctors observed her sweating, noting she wasn't actually in heat stroke. In 1908 a similar scene had played out when Dorando Pietri from Italy staggered over the line of the first London Olympic marathon, but his efforts had been left unrewarded because he received assistance. This time there was to be no helping hands to carry the brave Swiss runner over the line. Waving away offers of assistance Andersen-Scheiss wavered from one lane to the next, veering close to the orange cones marking the outer side of the race track, then almost hunched over veering back again to the inner side. The distance narrowed, five metres...four...three..two...then with a final stagger into lane two she crossed the finish line, to be greeted by first one then three white uniformed Olympic officials. In coming 37th Gaby Andersen-Scheiss had not won any medal, but she had conquered the 42,195 metres of the first women's Olympic marathon. Plus she had marked this particularly event for history with her brave efforts to not just start but also to finish the race.

As the women's marathon closed and the last of the runners was brought back to the athlete's village, Andersen-Scheiss accepted medical assistance. Amazingly after two hours she was back in the Olympic Village as well, eating and recuperating. Ten hours later she was interviewed on television. It was a welcome physical achievement considering how tortured she had appeared as she had finished the marathon. Long term, not only did she arguably define the agonies and the challenges for the marathon runner in the Olympics, no matter the gender, she also made the International Amateur Athletic Federation revise their rules for the marathon, making medical assistance available to those runners during the event without fear of disqualification. Gaby Andersen-Scheiss had demonstrated the most enviable of attributes displayed by an Olympian; the will to meet a challenge and complete it, no matter the result.



Sources:

• "The Complete Book of the Olympics" by David Wallechinsky, Aurum Press 2004
• "The Official Report fo the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics: Volume II" (available online at http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1984/1984v2pt2.pdf)
• Wikipedia: 1984 Summer Olympic Boycott (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet-led_boycott_of_the_1984_Summer_Olympics)
• Wikipedia: Gabriela Andersen-Scheiss Biography (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriela_Andersen-Schiess)
• IOC Official Biography: Gabriela Andersen-Scheiss: (http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/profiles/bio_uk.asp?PAR_I_ID=30369)
• The Official Film of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics

Jim Shea: The Moonshine Gold Medallist

When one compares the Winter and Summer Olympics, the former appears to have the more potential for death and dismemberment when it comes to the individual sports. For every dangerous moment involving a bicycle travelling at about 80 kph down a rainy road in the individual or team time trial at the Summer Olympics, there is a seemingly mad bobsledder and his crew racing their aerodynamic bob down a twisting ice track at speeds at times in excess of 120 kph. The combination of speed, ice, snow and sharp blades has a habit of testing the bravery of the human spirit and the fragility of the human body when applied in the Winter Olympic Games. And in the case of the skeleton, it could be argued this is the most frightening of all the most dangerous of Olympic sports.

The skeleton is essentially a head first sled ride down a toboganning, luge or bobsled track, where the rider (weighing no more that 115 kilos for men, 92 kilos for women) attempts to set the fastest combined times over two runs. Originating in Switzerland the sport was added to the Winter Olympic program for the St Moritz games of 1928. However like some other sports on both the Winter and Summer program it was an infrequent event, not to appear at the Lake Placid 1932 or Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936 Winter Olympics. Skeleton briefly returned post-war, again at St Moritz in 1948 but was then again being withdrawn as a gold medal event. It took some serious effort on the part of the Federation Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Togogganing (FIBT) to reinstate the sport as a viable candidate for reinclusion on the Winter Olympic program, which eventually took place in 1999. The next opportunity for a full skeleton competition with gold medals available to both male and female champions was to be Salt Lake City 2002.

Whilst the FIBT and the IOC were working through the issues of bring skeleton back into the fold as a Winter Olympic event a third generation winter sportsman was aiming to participate in the Salt Lake City Olympics as part of the US tea. Jim Shea, born in Hartford Connecticut had prime Winter Olympian genes as part of his heritage. His grandfather Jack Shea had won 2 gold medals in the speed skating program at the 1932 Lake Placid Winter Olympics, and had also taken the athletes' oath at those games. His father Jim Shea Senior competed in three Nordic skiing events at the 1964 Innsbruck Winter Olympics. Plus all three generations lived within a very short distance of the host venue of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics.

Jim Shea Junior had originally been attracted to skeleton after switching from bobsled when he balanced out the costs of the equipment ($30,000US for a bobsled versus $3000US for a skeleton sled). Yet there was another factor; as David Wallechinsky records Jim Jnr said that:

"Bobsled is the champagne of thrills, skeleton is the moonshine of thrills."

With this attitude and after a rather unsuccessful 1997 World Cup season Shea decided to travel to Europe to improve his skills. With little money Shea protected his initial meagre resources by sleeping in barns and working on sled courses for free runs. Improving as the years passed he became the first American to win a World Cup race as well as a World Championship in skeleton (1999) and Goodwill Games gold (2000). However there were other and arguably better prospects for winning the US it's first gold for skeleton since 1932, with Chris Soule ending the 2001-2002 season in second place overall, behind Gregor Stähli (Switzerland) and in front of Martin Rettl (Austria).

Jim Jnr's 2001-2002 results however secured him a place on the US team and then, with only 17 days to go until the Salt Lake City opening ceremony tragically his grandfather Jack Shea was killed in a motor vehicle accident. This changed Jim Jnr's pursuit for gold into something more than just a desire to win for himself and for his country. As a tribute to the grandson, the father and the grandfather Jim Snr and Jim Jnr were the penultimate torchbearers at the Salt Lake City opening ceremony before handing the flame over to the 1980 US Ice Hockey team. To add further honour to Jim Jnr he was also given the opportunity to follow in Jack Shea's footsteps, reading the oath on behalf of all competitors at the 2002 Winter Olympics. No matter the form of his competitors there was an incredible amount of sentiment and goodwill riding with Jim Shea Jnr as he began his quest for skeleton gold.

The competition for the men's skeleton was held at the Park City sled track, dropping over 100 metres from start to finish and running over 1300 metres long. Gregor Stähli was the gold medal favourite, in part due to his success from the 2001-2002 season but also perhaps because his father Buddy was considered 'the father of Swiss skeleton'. Yet unfortunately for Stähli on the day of competition the weather was slightly against him. February 20th was a snowy day, and the conditions meant the track became slower for the earlier sliders. Stähli's time was approximately 2 seconds behind what he should have achieved, opening a gap for others such at Rettl and Shea. Rettl's time was only marginally quicker than Stähli's, with Shea then taking his skeleton sled down the course in 50.89 seconds (a 0.13 lead over the Austrian Rettl). Surprisingly an Irish skeleton racer Clifton Wrottesley was also in contention, finishing the first heat in third place.

Snow continued to fall as the second heat proceeded. As the sliders took their turns heading face down the track the times to beat were Shea's, Rettl's and Wrottesley's. Stähli had a far better run but with his 50.99 was still languishing behind the top three. Wrottesley dropped in pace losing valuable time. Then Rettl matched Stähli's second heat time, which in turn gave Shea a definitive target. He had to slide a 51.12 for gold. Although Jim Jnr had a notoriously slow start there was an ace up his sleeve. In his helmet was a photograph of his recently killed grandfather, the dual gold medallist Jack Shea.

For most of the run Shea was 0.14 seconds behind Rettl's time. However at the final split the gap had been narrowed by the American to a mere one-hundredth of a second. With the momentum, the loud American crowd and perhaps his grandfather's spirit behind him Shea continued downwards, sliding into the finish with a second run time of 51.07 seconds. His overall time was 1.41.96; five hundredths of a second in front of Rettl. The gold was Shea's. Mobbed by his fellow skeleton sliders who until then had been his competitors Shea pulled the photograph out of his helmet. The crowd erupted, chanting "USA! Shea!" repeatedly. And then Jim Shea Jnr paid tribute to his grandfather Jack:

"I think my grandfather had some unfinished business down here, now he can go up to heaven."

Sources:

• "The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics"by David Wallechinsky, Sport Classic Books, 2005
• IOC Official Biography: Jim Shea at http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/profiles/bio_uk.asp?PAR_I_ID=128456
• UPI Salt Lake City 2002 Skeleton Preview: http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2002/02/04/Olympic_Preview_--_Skeleton/UPI-79651012803293/
• FIBT Official Website: http://www.fibt.com/
• ESPN 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Skeleton Results: http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/winter02/results/bySport?sportId=k#MSKE
• "The Official Report fo the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics: Volume II" (available online at http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2002/2002v2.pdf)
• Encyclopaedia Britannica Online: Jim Shea Jnr http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/862225/Jim-Shea-Jr
• Wikipedia: List of World Cup Skeleton Champions from 1986-87: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Skeleton_World_Cup_champions
  

Bob Beamon: The Event Destroyer

At every Olympic Games during the modern era there have been athletes who stamp their mark on their events imperiously, silencing critics and shrugging off rivals. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics for example, Florence Griffith Joyner was such a complete athlete that she was never chalenged over the 100 or 200 metres, and the US women's 4x100 metres relay team only had to hold their baton to win. In 1960 Herb Elliot ran the perfect 1500 metres, winning in such a style that the silver medallist from France, Michel said that "Elliot was from another planet". And then there was Jim Thorpe, attributed the accolade by King Gustav V as the greatest athlete in the world after obliterating the decathlon world record at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. Yet none of them have soared as high and as long over their competitors nor over Olympic history as Bob Beamon, gold medallist at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics in the long jump.

The Mexico City games, held during October 1968 were controversial both politically and environmentally. Ten days prior to the opening ceremony a massacre of students at the Plaza de las Tres Culturas in the Tlatelolco area of Mexico City gave the IOC some pause in actually staging the games, but this was quickly resolved with the 1968 games starting as planned. Then, during the 200 metres medal presentation the Olympic champion Tommie Smith and bronze medallist John Carlos bowed their heads and made the Black Power salute, immediately receiving the wrath of the Avery Brundage-led IOC as well as the USOC. All the while there was the issue of Rhodesia's non-participation in the Olympics, as well as Czech displeasure at the Soviet suppression of the so-called "Prague Spring".

Concerns about the high altitude also made sure that much of the sporting perfromances were buried underneath distracting headlines. In one notorious incident Australian 10,000 metre world record holder Ron Clarke almost died when he collapsed after finishing his event, won by Neftali Temu in a time nearly two minutes outside Clarke's record. On the other hand, shorter distance track events benefited, with all men's world records for distances equal or lower to 400 metres being lowered in Mexico City. The 1968 Summer Olympic Games had a lot of controversy to shrug off if it was going to be remembered for pure athletic brilliance. Yet Bob Beamon made sure this historical mission was fulfilled, and in a way that could arguably be considered the greatest one sporting moment at any games.

Considered to be the favourite prior to the long jump in Mexico City, Beamon was up against three outstanding challengers. Lynn Davies of Great Britain was the gold medallist at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, whilst Ralph Boston (USA) had won silver behind Davies, then went on to hold the world record jump of 8.35 metres with Soviet long jumer Igor Ter-Ovanesyan. However one thing that Beamon possessed that none of his rivals did was explosive speed. Over 100 yards Beamon could run the distance in 9.5 seconds, and this was definitely an advantage in the rarefied air of the Estadio Olimpico Universitario in Mexico City.

Prior to the final however, Bob Beamon almost failed to qualify and have his chance for Olympic glory. Like his famous precessor Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Games, Beamon was unable to set a qualifying distance until the last of his three initial jumps. Thanks to the advice of rival and mentor Ralph Boston Beamon adjusted his run up and with some ease set a qualifying mark. Set to begin the final round of jumping in fourth, Beamon was still challenged by Davies (twelfth), Ter-Ovanesyan (thirteenth) and Boston (seventeenth).

After a nervous night when he thought he destroyed all chance of an Olympic gold medal due to sexual intercourse, Friday October 18th 1968 began as a gloomy, rainy day. No one would have expected what was to follow, even Beamon wearing the number 254 on his track top, with such potentially adverse conditions. This was partially reinforced as the first three jumpers fouled their attempts. It was Beamon's turn.

Striding down the strip towards the takeoff board, Beamon's long powerful legs hurled him with great speed much like a 100 metre sprinter would hope to achieve. Then, landing perfectly and then launching from the takeoff board, Beamon soared through the thin Mexico City air, landed, frog jumped twice and then jogged with loose limbs from the pit. For Beamon it seemed a good jump, but his thoughts were of a distance around 27 feet 10 inches. Meanwhile Ralph Boston and Lynn Davies talked about the leap being over 28 feet, checking out the distance for themselves. The officals, struggling with the optical marker used for measuring the leap realised that the jump was too long for this instrument, and used an older steel tape to record the distance. Then, after a couple of tries the offical result was shown on the scoreboard. 8.90 metres, a full 55 centimetres beyond the previous world record.

Even at this point Beamon wasn't sure what he had done. It took friend and competitor Ralph Boston to come up and convert the metric figure into something Bob Beamon could understand; "Bob, you jumped 29 feet." Thereupon Beamon wondered what Boston would do or for that matter Davies from Great Britain or Ter-Ovaneysan from the USSR could achieve, but Boston capitulated. "It's over for me, I can't jump that far." Ter-Ovaneysan then spoke saying that "Compared to this jump, we are as children.", whilst Davies chimed in with "I can't go on. What is the point? We'll all look silly.". Turning to Beamon the Tokyo long jump gold medallist exclaimed "you have destroyed this event."

Yet the drama of the moment wasn't over yet. Having soared past the old world record, past 28 feet and into the region of further than 29 feet, Beamon's leap finally hit him and he collapsed in a cataplectic seizure after running to the crowd and his competitors with a broad smile on his face. Head buried in his hands, the new gold medallist and world record holder was helped to his feet by Boston and US team mate Charlie Mays, who suported him until the effects of the seizure passed.

The remaining jumps were inconsequential to the final result. Rain started just after Ter-Ovaneysan's first leap, and Beamon himself only made one more leap. Boston was able to jump long enough to win the bronze, whilst unheralded East German Klaus Beer took silver 71 centimetres behind Bob Beamon's leap. But the medal, the event and arguably the Mexico City Olympics themselves belonged to Bob Beamon. His long jump world record would hold for nearly 23 years, and in fact almost 40 years after that rainy October afternoon it still is on the books as the longest jump in Olympic history. As suggested earlier in this article, this one jump by one man at one Olympics can arguably be cited as the single most powerful and perfect moment in any Olympic event at any games.



Sources:

• "The Complete Book of the Olympics" by David Wallechinsky, Aurum Press 2004
• "100 Greatest Olympians from 1896" by Jim Tracy, Savvas Publishing, 1983
• Bob Beamon article in Wikipedia
• "Australia and the Olympic Games" by Harry Gordon, UQP 1994