She's Back, Running Like The Wind

Off in the press tent, Ashford, having finished her 400, was being her feisty old self with reporters. She smirked at the inanity of a few of their questions (e.g., "Will you show us where you pulled your muscle?" to which she bared only her smile), and confidently noted that she thinks she'll break the world 200-meter record (21.71, held by Marita Koch of East Germany) this year. She even admitted that, yes, she's very eager to cash in on whatever fame the Olympics bring her. "I feel that it will take three gold medals for me to get endorsements," she said. "Mainly because I'm a black female sprinter. I have to be better."

Mind you, Ashford isn't greedier than other track athletes, or more cynical; just more candid. In fact, having now come back from major injuries twice in the last four years—in May of 1980 she tore a hamstring—she has become more appreciative of her rare talent. "As long as I've got two legs and they can move," she said, "I'll run." For now she's doing it in true Ashford style: sometimes with the wind, always like the wind.