Sport

World Champs flashback...Big first for Ottey

( left - right )Merlene Ottey and Deon Hemmings - file photos

THIS IS THE third in a series of articles on Jamaican athletes who have reached the finals of events at the World Athletics Championships. Today we look at the 1993 championships held in Stuttgart, Germany. The first two articles focussed on 1983/87 and 1991. The 2005 World Athletics Championships will be held in Helsinki, Finland August 6-14.

The 1993 World Athletics Championships in Stuttgart was highlighted by one of the closest, and controversial, women's 100 metres final ever.

Jamaica's sprint star Merlene Ottey was in the midst of the controversy.

Thrilling final

In a thrilling final American Gail Devers held the lead until five metres out when Ottey came with a torrid late run. Devers produced her customary dip, first with her chest then her head but it appeared at the line that she had been pipped by the fast-finishing Ottey.

It took the meet officials an extremely long time to decide the winner. Replays showed that Devers' head had crossed the line first but it was unclear whose all important torso was ahead. Eventually the result was announced as Devers first in 10.81 seconds and Ottey second in 10.82.

Jamaica's delegation lodged a protest and the Jury of Appeal was called into action. They looked at the photograph again and both women were given the same time, 10.82. The order, however, remained unchanged. The official winning margin was actually one-thousandth of a second, Devers 10.811 to Ottey's 10.812. It was the reverse angle photograph which had decided the placings. That photograph taken from the inside of the track showed that Devers' right shoulder was just ahead of Ottey.

Sympathy

The Stuttgart crowd was full of sympathy for the Jamaican and when she collected her silver medal the following day they gave her a standing ovation lasting two minutes.

American Gwen Torrence was third in 10.89. Jamaican teenager Nikole Mitchell, the reigning world junior 100m champion, finished seventh in 11.20.

There was no controversy in the 200 metres final. It was close but at the end Ottey, after eight attempts, had won her first major individual outdoor gold medal.

Ottey ran a magnificent first 100m in 11.15 seconds and came off the curve ahead of Torrence (11.20). Ottey lost her form in the last 10 metres as the American surged forward. Torrence failed to tag Ottey by two hundredths of a second.

Close finish

The silver medallist ran the final 100m in 10.72 to Ottey's 10.83. The Jamaican sprint queen took home three medals. Running the final leg she pushed the 4x100m team to 41.94 and a bronze medal. The time tied the national record set two years earlier when the sprint relay team mined gold in Tokyo. Devers was involved in another close finish but this time Russia's Irina Provalova got the nod. Both countries were awarded the same time, 41.49 seconds.

The other members of the Jamaican quartet were Michelle Freeman, Juliet Campbell and Nicole Mitchell. Dahlia Duhaney ran in the first round.

Sandie Richards got her first individual outdoor world championships medal when she placed third in the 400m in 50.44. Americans won gold and silver, Jearl Miles (49.82) finishing ahead of Natasha Kaiser-Brown (50.17).

Hurdlers Michelle Freeman and Deon Hemmings also reached the finals of their events.

Freeman was seventh in the 100m hurdles in 12.90 as Devers completed a 100m, 100m hurdles double in 12.46, a time which equalled the then American record.

Russia's Maria Azyabina was second in 12.60 and Lynda Tolbert of the United States third in 12.67. Hemmings who three years later became the first Jamaican woman to win an Olympic gold medal was sixth in the 400m hurdles final in 54.99. The event was won in a world record 52.74 by Britain's Sally Gunnell with the former Jamaica representative, Sandra Farmer-Patrick second in 52.79. Russia's Margarita Ponomaryova was third in 53.48.

Jamaica's men failed to match the brilliance of the Ottey-led women. The lone medal came from Winthrop Graham in the 400m hurdles.

Outstanding time

Graham had in fact ran an outstanding time in the final, 47.62, just outside his national record 47.60 but Kevin Young the Olympic champion and world record holder were better. Young won gold in 47.18 with Matete just ahead of Graham in 47.60.

Rising Jamaican 400m star Gregory Haughton was sixth in the final in 45.63. American Michael Johnson won gold in a fast 43.65, his compatriot Butch Reynolds took silver in 44.13 while Kenya's Samson Kitur earned bronze in 44.54. Raymond Stewart reached his third straight world championships 100m final placing eighth in 10.18. Britain's Linford Christie 9.87 and Americans Andre Cason (9.92) and Dennis Mitchell (9.99) were the medallists.

The men's 4x400m was seventh in 3:01.44 as the Americans won gold in a world record 2:54.29. Kenya were second in 2:59.82 and Germany third in 2:59.99.

The Jamaican quartet was Patrick O'Connor, Dennis Blake, Danny McFarlane and Haughton.