Heave Ho!Barnes's odyssey: a silver medalist in '88, banned in '92 and the Olympic champion in '96by Tim Layden
Fool's gold was ladled generously about Olympic Stadium last night, setting emotional fires but counting for nothing. Male sprinters torched 100-meter heats, making the world record appear vulnerable. A cast of women prepared to reprise 100-meter roles played at the 1992 Barcelona Games. A winsome, starstruck quarter-miler from Sri Lanka was given the rare privilege of beating Michael Johnson. All of it was valueless in the shadow of what is yet to come.
Randy Barnes of the U.S. saved his best for last and shot past teammate John Godina to win the gold
photograph by
There were just two gold medals awarded in two sessions on the first day of Olympic track and field, when a total of more than 160,000 spectators viewed a sport that is often ignored in the U.S. One gold was won in the early morning by Jefferson Perez of Ecuador, whose victory in the 20-kilometer walk meant his country's first Olympic medal. And another was taken in the dying hours of the evening, when U.S. shot-putter Randy Barnes, sitting in sixth place after a desultory night, overhauled leader and teammate John Godina on his final throw, a toss of 70'11".
It was eight years ago at the Seoul Games that East Germany's Ulf Timmermann took the gold medal from Barnes on the last throw. On this night world champion Godina, 24, was left crestfallen. "I knew he was going to do what he did," said Godina, who won the silver with a throw of 68'2". Barnes, 30, who endured a drug suspension from 1990 to '92, said, "I know what John is going through, exactly. It's been a long road back for me. John's got time on his side."
stadium track with possibilities. Last night in the quarterfinals of the men's 100, 22-year-old Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago ripped a 9.95 in winning his heat and came bounding off the track to guarantee a world record in tonight's final. "One-hundred percent, guaranteed, for whoever wins," said Boldon.
Minutes later, prerace favorite Frankie Fredericks ran a comically easy 9.93, shutting down at least 15 meters from the finish and floating across the line.
The women's 100 could be a replay of the wild finish in '92. Defending gold medalist Gail Devers of the U.S. ran 10.92 in the morning and 10.94 at night in the quarters. Jamaica's Merlene Ottey, 36, and Juliet Cuthbert advanced to the semifinals, as did U.S. trials champ Gwen Torrence, who is fighting a lingering thigh injury.
For one brief moment, 22-year-old Sugath Thilakaratne, the South Asian champion from the Sri Lankan village of Nortonbridge, was close to the incomparable Johnson. In the opening round of the 400 meters, Johnson throttled back to a near walk in the final 20 meters, and Thilakaratne dipped Johnson at the line in a national record and personal best of 45.79, which Johnson could run in a blizzard.
No matter. "I can't believe I beat Michael Johnson," said Thilakaratne. "When he slowed down, it gave me strength."
Today he starts clean. No medals for fleeting promise.
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SI Olympic Dailies
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