On July 27, 1996, the 100-meter World Plusmarquist was Leroy Burrell, with 9.85. He and Carl Lewis had alternated, since 1988, on the chronometric throne of speed. But that July 27 of 96 none of the two leaned over the starting tacos at the end of the Atlanta Olympics. In the common homeland.
It was 21 hours on the viscous heat of the capital of the State of Georgia. "To your posts!" "Prepared!". But the result of the race was going to delay even enough minutes, not about 10 seconds. Before ringing the shot that would lead to the stampening of the eight grupeing bodies of an acharolated sweat friend of the sprinkles, the Briton Linford Christie, gold in Barcelona four years earlier, starring a null exit.
Everyone standing. Some streets to temper the nerves as much as possible and give momentary freedom to the pulsations under the Melted Lead Sky, and return to start. "To your posts!" Brief endless pause. "Prepared!". Brief endless pause. But before ringing the shot, ATO Boldon, from Trinidad, made a null exit.
Everyone standing. Some streets to temper the nerves as much as possible and give momentary freedom to the pulsations under the Melted Lead Sky, and return to start. "To your posts!" Brief endless pause. "Prepared!". Brief endless pause. But before ringing the shot, again Linford Christie, the campus grandfather at 36 years, committed the same mistake. And he was disqualified. Everyone standing, etc. The race had accumulated such an extreme tension that could only lead to a punch or on a fad.
It was a bomb. After the definitive impression, the Canadian Donovan Bailey, on 6th Street, came out regular. At 50 meters he was still fifth. But at 75 he was already in the first place moving at 12.1 meters per second. He finished at 9.84. New record of the world. The Namibio Frank Fredricks, second, made 9.89. And ATO Boldon, third, 9.90. No American on the podium. An abnormality. Dennis Mitchell, fourth with 9.99, became, in spite of him, in the only athlete of the story that stayed out of the podium with a mark of less than 10 seconds. Then it has happened more times.
Bailey, 28, 1.83 of height and 82 kilos of weight, World Champion in Göteborg in 1995, dedicated his triumph to his cousin Keith gravely ill cancer. He did not know that he had died the night before the final and the family hid it so as not to happen before a day so pointed out.
Bailey was Canadian nationality, but genetically Caribbean. He was born in Jamaica, from where he left at 13 years old. In Jamaica, he does, as, on the other hand, Linford Christie himself. And also the ill-fated Ben Johnson. In Jamaica, the place of this planet, throughout history, with more world-class springs, men and women, per square kilometer. Jamaica. The island of the cyclones. Any day goes flying.
Date Of Update: 26 July 2021, 20:37
