Home>News Center>Sports
         
 

Gatlin wins 100m race, dubbed fastest man
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-08-23 07:05

Justin Gatlin ran the race of his life Sunday night, barely holding off the fastest Olympic 100 field in history to win the gold in 9.85 seconds. Francis Obikwelu of Portugal got the silver in 9.86. Defending champion Maurice Greene won bronze in 9.87, falling short in his quest to crown himself the "greatest sprinter of all time."


Jason Gatlin, of the United States, reacts after winning the gold medal in the 100-meters at the Olympic Stadium during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Sunday, Aug. 22, 2004. [AP Photo]
A third American, Shawn Crawford, was fourth in 9.89. Five runners broke the 10-second mark, and another — world champion Kim Collins — finished in exactly 10 seconds.

It was the closest finish in an Olympic 100 final since the 1980 Moscow Games, when Allan Wells of Britain held off Silvio Leonard of Cuba as the two were timed in 10.25.

Gatlin's previous personal best was 9.92. He finished the race Sunday with his mouth wide open, then dropped to his knees and clasped his hands in prayer. Next he jumped into the stands.

"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."

It was the first time in Olympic history that five men broke 10 seconds in one race. Four did it at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Greene was unable to become the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 and '88 to win back-to-back Olympic 100s.

"You know what, I think we put on a great show," Greene said.

Gatlin, 22, is the youngest Olympic 100 champion since Jim Hines in 1968. Gatlin won six NCAA titles in his two seasons at Tennessee, then won the 60-meter title at the world indoor championships last year. But he had been overshadowed at the Athens Games by flamboyant training partner Crawford.

Crawford gave Gatlin a huge hug after his victory. Both are trained by Trevor Graham, the former mentor of Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery — who holds the 100 world record of 9.78, but did not qualify for the Olympics and has been charged with steroid use.

Earlier Sunday night, Gail Devers' heartbreak in the Olympic 100-meter hurdles continued as she was felled by injury just steps into her first heat.

Devers, 37, who has three world championships in the event, pulled up short and screamed as she slid under the first hurdle. She sat on the track for about two minutes, rubbing her left leg and grimacing.

Devers hurt her leg in practice a week ago and wore a heavy bandage during three rounds of the 100 before being eliminated in the semifinals Saturday.

Her failure Sunday may lead to second guessing about Devers' decision to run in the 100. She took the third U.S. spot in that event when Torri Edwards was suspended for two years for accidentally ingesting a banned stimulant.

Devers could have turned down the spot and focused on the hurdles, allowing Marion Jones to try to defend her Olympic title.

Devers holds the U.S. record of 12.37 seconds. She has three Olympic medals — she won gold in the 100 in 1992 and 1996, and was on the victorious 400-meter relay team in 1996.

But she slammed into the last hurdle while leading the 1992 Olympic final, crawling to the finish line in fifth place. In 1996, she missed an Olympic medal by a hundredth of a second. In 2000, she injured her hamstring in the semifinal and pulled up after five hurdles.

Also Sunday, Mizuki Noguchi of Japan won the 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.

Two Swedish men won gold medals in field events. Stefan Holm won the high jump — American Matt Hemingway got silver — and Christian Olsson was the winner in the triple jump.

Adrian Annus of Hungary won the gold medal in the hammer throw. Greece's Fani Halkia thrilled the sold-out crowd by setting an Olympic record of 52.77 seconds in her 400-meter hurdles semifinal.

Befitting this drug-plagued year for the sport, international and Russian Olympic officials said that the first woman to win a gold medal at Ancient Olympia — a Russian shot putter — is under investigation for a positive test.

Irina Korzhanenko tested positive for the steroid stanozolol after Wednesday's competition, Russian Olympic Committee spokesman Gennady Shvets said. The backup B sample was being analyzed to verify the result.

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. The IAAF said a second violation would lead to a life ban.

Gatlin, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native who now lives in Raleigh, N.C., said his victory was just the first of what he hopes will be many historic accomplishments.

"I said it was going to be the most exciting race in the world, and it was," he said. "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."



 
  Today's Top News     Top Sports News
 

China gains 4 more golds, tops gold tally again

 

   
 

Grand meeting hails Deng's centenary

 

   
 

Web portals facing tighter supervision

 

   
 

Rules protect rights of detainees

 

   
 

Comment: Time to rethink monetary policy

 

   
 

Tipping tour guides sparks debate

 

   
  Gatlin wins 100m race, dubbed fastest man
   
  China gains 4 more golds, tops gold tally again
   
  Chinese pair win tennis women's doubles gold
   
  Zhang Yining completes China's golden 100
   
  Superwoman Tang wins 18th gold for China
   
  Greek weightlifter stripped of medal
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 国产人成视频在线观看| 新婚熄与翁公老张林莹莹| 伊人久久大香线蕉综合爱婷婷| 色综合天天娱乐综合网| 国产成人综合洲欧美在线| 69久久夜色精品国产69| 女女同性一区二区三区四区| 中文字幕人妻无码一夲道| 日本最大色倩网站www| 亚洲AV无码专区国产乱码DVD| 欧美日韩国产精品自在自线| 亚洲视频aaa| 男女超级黄aaa大片免费| 午夜精品乱人伦小说区| 色综合色综合久久综合频道| 国产午夜福利片| 麻豆国产入口在线观看免费| 国产欧美久久一区二区三区| 老色鬼久久综合第一| 国产精品自拍亚洲| 91麻豆国产级在线| 在线精品国精品国产不卡| qvod激情小说| 妖精视频一区二区三区| 三上悠亚破解版| 成人午夜亚洲精品无码网站| 中文字幕日韩精品无码内射 | 日韩电影手机在线观看| 亚洲av无一区二区三区| 欧亚专线欧洲s码wm| 亚洲三级视频在线观看| 欧美军人男男同videos可播放| 国产欧美日韩精品a在线观看| 91极品反差婊在线观看| 在线国产视频观看| 99国产成+人+综合+亚洲欧美| 夜夜爽一区二区三区精品| 99热在线免费观看| 国精品无码一区二区三区在线| 99精品国产一区二区三区2021| 在线观看毛片网站|