Stars who didn’t shine bright

A few sportspersons who were world-beaters couldn’t corner glory in the Olympics. Stan Rayan lists some of them.

We’ve heard of amazing tales of how athletes overcame tragedy and pain and embraced success at the Olympics, of Wilma Rudolph who suffered from polio as a little girl and yet went on to win three golds at the 1960 Rome Olympics, of Gail Devers who emerged as the world’s fastest woman for the first time at the 1992 Barcelona Games just 17 months after doctors considered amputating her blistered and swollen feet, the result of Graves’ disease, a debilitating chronic thyroid disorder.

But there are also many shocking stories of how some of the greatest athletes failed to live up to expectations at the Olympics, sport’s biggest stage, for one reason or the other.

Queen without an Olympic crown

What do you do when you clock the fastest time in the Olympic 100m final and still end up with a silver?

Jamaican Merlene Ottey had this shattering experience at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She and Gail Devers were involved in a photo finish, both clocked 10.94 seconds, but the gold was awarded to the American, despite Jamaican protests.

And what did Ottey say to herself?“Keep trying.”

But 24 years of trying, which began in Moscow in 1980 and ended in 2004 as a 44-year-old in Athens, did not bring Ottey the coveted gold. So much so that Ottey, one of the most decorated track Olympian and a multiple World champion, who moved to Slovenia in 2002, gained a reputation as the ‘Bronze Queen’ and a Queen without a crown at the Olympics. Ottey is only the second woman to compete in seven Olympics and her tally is three silver and six bronze medals.

World record, but no gold

When Mike Powell broke Bob Beamon’s 23-year-old world record after a dramatic duel with Carl Lewis — considered as the greatest long jump competition in history — at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, he began as the overwhelming favourite for the gold at the Barcelona Olympics the next year.

And though Powell’s world record stands intact even today, there was only disappointment for the American at Barcelona and four years later, in Atlanta with the legendary Lewis grabbing the gold on both occasions.

Steve Cram, who was among the world’s dominant middle-distance runners of the Eighties along with fellow-Englishmen Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett, is another athlete who comes to mind. A year after taking the 1,500m silver, behind Coe at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the Brit set three world records (1500m, mile and 2000m) within the space of 19 days. That year, he also shocked the reigning Olympic champion Joaquim Cruz in the 800m, though it was not his best event.

But three years later, he suffered a calf injury just before the Seoul Olympics and was eliminated in the 800m heats. He recovered nicely to reach the 1500m final but could not produce his usual finish and could only come fourth in a close race behind the surprise winner Peter Rono and silver medallist Peter Elliot, an athlete he had beaten many times before the Games.

Controversial race

Zola Budd was another distance athlete who made headlines around the world with a string of incredible record-breaking performances. The shy, slightly-built star came up with stunning times in events ranging from the 1500m to the 10,000m but could not compete internationally because of the apartheid policies of the South African Government.

To realise her dream of running in the Olympics, Budd — who had a British grandfather — applied for British citizenship before the Los Angeles Games. Her application was rushed through and Budd got a chance to run the 3000m for Britain in 1984.

But few will forget that race.

Mary Decker-Slaney began as the favourite with Budd and Romania’s Maricica Puica expected to give the American a tough fight.

It turned out to be one of the most controversial races in Olympic history. Shortly after the halfway mark, Mary Decker knocked Budd slightly and a little later, bumped into her again. After a few strides, the two collided again. This time the American stumbled and fell onto the infield, clutching her right thigh.

Budd also stumbled but a moment later, recovered her balance and went on with the race. But the incident had shaken her and, with the crowd booing her, Budd seemed to have lost her heart for the race. And as Decker, in tears, was carried away from the track, Budd faded to seventh with Puica grabbing the gold. Budd was considered the villain of the piece and pulled up, but a little later the jury decided that the South African-born runner was not at fault.

In love with Denmark

Wilson Kipketer, one of the greatest 800m runners ever who twice broke the world record in 1997 and owned eight of the 20 fastest times in the event, was another star who moved away from home, from Kenya to Copenhagen in Denmark to study electrical engineering. He liked the place so much he decided to stay on, applied for citizenship and opted to run for his new country. Representing Denmark, he even won the gold at the 1995 World Championship. But Kipketer missed his golden chance when the International Olympic Committee declined to give him permission to run for Denmark at the 1996 Olympics because he was not yet a full citizen of his adopted country.

Later, the International Olympic Committee offered him a chance to run for Kenya but Kipketer declined.

Surely, he must have rued his decision. “I didn’t feel any regret,” he said in an interview later. “I made my decision and I had to pay the price.”

Despite his many World Championships conquests, the Olympics gold remained elusive. Kipketer could win just the silver at the next Games in Sydney and a bronze in Athens 2004.

Life’s big hurdles

Silver was Colin Jackson’s best at the Summer Games though the British 110m hurdler held the world record for nearly 13 years and was a double world champion.

Jackson’s silver came on his Olympics debut in Los Angeles but though he ruled the sprint hurdling world for long after that, he could not get a single medal at his next three Olympics, finishing seventh in 1992, fourth in Atlanta and fifth in Sydney.

Strangely, for a man who was famed for attacking the hurdles and for his ‘elastic’ dip at the finish, Jackson hit a hurdle and lost the pace in Barcelona and in Sydney.

Unfortunate indeed

While Jackson had four chances to attempt his Olympics gold, one of history’s greatest distance runners, Kenyan Henry Rono was unfortunately denied even one.

Rono was at his peak during the 1978 season when he broke four world records — 3,000m, 3,000m steeplechase, 5,000m and 10,000m — within the space of 81 days. But he never got to run in the Olympics as Kenya boycotted both the 1976 and 1980 Olympics. By 1984, he was no longer competing.