British dash hurdler appears to be like again on the 1984 Olympic Video games in Los Angeles when she received silver in 12.88 behind Benita Fitzgerald-Brown
I used to be so targeted on what I used to be doing and what I needed to do, it didn’t actually come into my thoughts that folks from the Jap Bloc weren’t going to be in Los Angeles as a result of boycotts. Clearly, we had been disenchanted that not all the most effective folks had been going to be there, nevertheless it didn’t cease our preparation. The purpose was to compete on the Olympic Video games and get a medal, no matter who was there.
The earlier Video games in Moscow was very subdued. We might exit, however we needed to be supervised and really cautious if we went out with none folks with us. However LA was simply free. You would do what you needed. It was completely superb and it was very glamorous.
We went to homes in Hollywood for dinner and cocktails and issues like that and we had been simply excited in regards to the Video games being in LA as a result of it’s always in sunshine. It’s simply lovely over there and we had been welcomed with open arms. It was simply pretty.
We had been within the solar all day, on daily basis. We did our coaching classes after which, within the evenings, we had so many issues on. There was a form of intranet that was accessible in LA, which was the most recent factor then. You would contact anyone on campus, virtually like emails.
I moved home this yr and located one of many messages within the attic that stated I couldn’t meet up as a result of I used to be assembly the Prime Minister of Australia for dinner. I’ve no recollection of that in any respect, however we did so many issues. I keep in mind going to Disney World in the future and I met Lionel Richie (I used to be such a fan of his) however I don’t keep in mind plenty of the social aspect of it. I keep in mind the competitors.
Shirley Robust, Benita Fitzgerald-Brown, Kim Turner (Mark Shearman)
When you will have the primary stroll out into the stadium, it simply takes your breath away. However it’s a must to simply lean on all of your coaching and also you turn into so targeted. As quickly as you’re preparing, making an attempt the blocks and simply making an attempt out the primary few hurdles, you don’t actually discover the massive crowds or the environment through the race. That got here afterwards once I went to go and watch different folks compete. Whenever you’re truly competing, it’s as when you block it out.
There was plenty of stress on me to win it. I nonetheless consider to at the present time that if my coach, Jim Harris, had been there after I had a foul semi-final, I might have carried out higher within the remaining.
We’d labored on the primary hurdle. On the World Championships in Helsinki the yr earlier than, one other coach tried to attempt to get me to alter my steps to the primary hurdle and that basically threw me out for some time. Jim went completely ballistic – he was livid {that a} nationwide coach might attempt to try this with me in such an vital yr. However we bought it sorted ultimately. Jim was a superb coach. He knew the way to deal with me and what to say to me and I needed he’d been on the Video games.
Today, athletes all have their very own coaches with them however again then solely the crew coaches bought accreditation, no one else might. Jim might nonetheless have been in LA, however wouldn’t have been within the village with me, or there in between the semi and the ultimate.
I hit a hurdle within the semi-final. It utterly knocked me and I certified second. Within the remaining, they stated I used to be within the lead till the previous few hurdles. It was so minute that it was tough to see mid-race. Myself and Benita Fitzgerald-Brown [of the USA] had been elevating our lead legs on the similar time however she did come off the final hurdle faster and that’s what did it.
I hadn’t truly anticipated her to problem as a result of she had finished nothing earlier than and did nothing after, so it was a bit out of the blue. I used to be anticipating Michèle Chardonnet, the French woman, to be my foremost competitor. Possibly Kim Turner, the opposite American, however actually not Benita. It was an actual shock that she got here by that day.
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I knew immediately she’d received, regardless that we had been 5 lanes aside. I simply felt disappointment at coming second. I had just a few tears straight after the race. On the podium, apparently I used to be booed, solely as a result of I used to be British and it got here after the Mary Decker Slaney/Zola Budd fiasco and the gang had been booing all of the Brits. However I didn’t actually discover. I used to be simply so disenchanted that I wasn’t one step increased, I didn’t actually take the gang in that a lot.
I’ve by no means celebrated since and I can’t watch the race anymore. I’ve in all probability solely watched it twice. I’ve by no means been glad with it. And folks say you need to be happy with the silver medal. However I by no means might be as a result of I needed the gold. That’s simply the way in which it’s. I’m nonetheless not pleased with the silver.Â
As informed to Mark Woods
» This text first appeared within the July problem of AW journal. Subscribe right here