|
|
 |
 |   |
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Don't take greatness for granted
EDMONTON, Alberta -- There is a lesson to be learned in Marion Jones' 100-meter defeat Monday night at the track and field world championships -- and, no, it's not that Zhanna Pintusevich-Block is the next great sprinter. Pintusevich-Block ran a terrific race and picked up the pieces of Jones' struggling season, but nobody thinks she could roast Mrs. Jones at Mrs. Jones' best. The message is this: It's hard to win all the time. By finally losing a race, Jones gave us reason to appreciate the sustained greatness of -- to name two people -- Michael Johnson and Maurice Greene. Think about it. Between 1991 and his retirement from serious competition after the 2000 Olympic Games, Johnson never lost a major championship race in which he was at the line for the final (he was sick at Barcelona in 1992 and was beaten in the semifinals). In 1997, he dragged himself around the track at Athens' Olympic Stadium to win the world title in the 400, a race he has always called his most satisfying victory. Greene has owned the 100 meters for five seasons, a remarkable dominance considering that such a short race can be lost with a single, tiny mistake. He won in Athens despite Donovan Bailey messing with his head. He won in Seville two years later even though Bruny Surin beat him out the blocks. He won Olympic gold when he was a heavy favorite and so nervous he could scarcely hold a glass of water in his hands on the day of the final. He won here despite a gimpy knee, a quad cramp and a very worthy, new rival. It was easy to take both men for granted. Jones slapped that emotion in the face.
U.S. men hurting in 400, 200When the United States failed to put a runner on the medal stand in the 400 meters ( Antonio Pettigrew was fourth in 44.99) despite the slowest winning time since the '83 worlds, it marked the first time the U.S. had finished out of the op three in a worlds or Olympics 400 since 1920. That's bad. The 200 meters, once an American stronghold, could be worse. In Sydney, no Americans medaled, after John Capel stood up in the blocks, thinking that he would be called for a false start. In Edmonton, Ramon Clay, the fastest American this summer, pulled up lame in the first round, leaving only U.S. champion Shawn Crawford and 33-year-old Kevin Little in the semifinals. (Capel is trying to play professional football and is not running track at all; Greene, the '99 gold medalist, pulled out of the 200 with his injury.) No question, the Edmonton deuce is wide open. No Greene, no Ato Boldon (also out with an injury). The favorite is Greek Olympic gold medalist Kostandinos Kederis, who never in his life has broken 20 seconds. However, the U.S. has seldom entered a sprint with a weaker hand.
Bucher learns, Radcliffe doesn'tSome people do learn from their mistakes. Last year Swiss 800-meter runner Andre Bucher was the best in the world at the distance. He erred by letting the Olympic final drag out, allowing savvy German Nils Schumann, an inferior runner, to slip through and win in a slow 1:45.08. Tuesday night Bucher benefited from Kenyan Wilfred Bungie's 50-flat first lap and ran away on the second to win in 1:43.70. "I did not want a technical race," Bucher said. Other people can do little about tactics. Briton Paula Radcliffe, a world cross-country champion last spring, led the Sydney 10,000 almost from the start and got kicked out of the medals by Derartu Tulu and Gete Wami of Ethiopia and Fernanda Ribeiro of Portugal. Tuesday night Radcliffe waited and didn't assume the lead until one mile remained. However, three Ethiopians ran right with her in a long, head-nodding shadow and all three outkicked her, with the gold once again going to Tulu. It was the first women's distance sweep since three Chinese finished 1-2-3 in the 3,000 meters in 1993 in Stuttgart.
Sports Illustrated senior writer Tim Layden covers track and field for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
| |||||||||||||||||||||
