It was a scene straight out of grand opera, as only an Italian could have orchestrated it.
And, when Primo Nebiolo of Italy kissed Butch Reynolds of the United States during the final medal ceremony of the fourth world track and field championships, it was a fitting climax to a splendid meet Reynolds had helped end with a world record.
Reynolds ran the third leg on the U.S.’ 4-x-400-meter relay that obliterated the old record with a time of 2 minutes, 54.29 seconds. That was 1.45 seconds better than the previous mark of 2:55.74 set by the U.S. winners at the 1992 Olympics. Not since 1960 had the record been lowered by such a margin.
The relay, which also included Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts and Michael Johnson, gave the United States its meet-leading 13th gold medal in 44 events. The U.S. gold total was nine more than runner-up China, and its overall total of 26 was nine more than runner-up Russia.
The U.S. won three of Sunday’s four relays, losing the women’s 4-x-100 in a photo finish to the Russians. The easiest victory, in the men’s 4-x-400, was the most dramatic.
It provided both the record for the sellout crowd of 52,274 and redemption for Reynolds, 29, of Columbus, Ohio.
He and Nebiolo, 70, the despotic president of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, have been at legal and verbal war since the IAAF suspended Reynolds for an allegedly positive drug test in 1990. The ban kept Reynolds, world-record holder in the 400 meters, out of the 1992 Olympics.
During his return to world championship competition at the world indoor championships in Toronto last March, Reynolds vainly hoped to get his gold medal in the 400 meters from Nebiolo.
Disappointed then, Reynolds wondered if it would happen after this relay, especially since it is traditional for the IAAF president to present the final medal of the meet.
With Nebiolo at his side, IAAF Vice President Lamine Diack of Senegal gave the golds to Valmon, Watts and Johnson. Then, with a perfect theatrical sense, Nebiolo stepped forward to hang the medal on Reynolds’ neck, kiss him on both cheeks and whisper sweet nothings in his ear.
“He said, `You’re very strong, very strong.’ I think I have his respect now, not only as an athlete but as an individual,” said Reynolds, runner-up in the open 400.
“It’s not totally over, because we have a judgment. Hopefully, we can come to some kind of agreement.”
The doping suspension led Reynolds into a three-year legal battle against the IAAF. It is ongoing, even though an Ohio judge has awarded Reynolds $27.3 million in damages.
As the litigation ground on, both Nebiolo and Reynolds turned the situation into a mutual vendetta with barbed comments about each other. The IAAF extended Reynolds’ suspension from 24 to 30 months for having insulted the international federation.
“As far as I’m concerned, the personal feud is over,” Reynolds said. “The rest is just business, and he taught me to separate the two. I was speechless and very touched.”
After losing the 4-x-400-meter relay to Great Britain at the 1991 world meet, the U.S. quartet was untouchable this time. They beat runner-up Kenya by 5.53 seconds.
Johnson, the open 400 champion, anchored the relay in 42.94 seconds, the fastest 400-meter split ever.
In the 4-x-100-meter relay, the team of Jon Drummond, Andre Cason, Dennis Mitchell and Leroy Burrell won in 37.48 seconds, the third-fastest ever. That beat Britain’s European record time of 37.77 and Canada’s national record of 37.83.
Saturday, the same U.S. team had matched the world record of 37.40 in the semifinals.
If she were less difficult to deal with, Gwen Torrence of Atlanta might have a variety of sponsors clamoring for her.
Torrence ran legs on both women’s relays Sunday to finish as the most decorated athlete in the meet with one gold, two silver and one bronze.
In the sprint relay, a U.S. record of 41.49 seconds was equal to Russia’s time but not good enough to win even though anchor Gail Devers, the 100-meter and 100-meter hurdles champion, was a step ahead with 10 meters to go. Devers was caught by Irina Privalova.
Torrence’s opening leg of 49.1 seconds sent the 4-x-400 relay off to an easy victory over Russia in a meet-record 3:16.71.
Noureddine Morceli of Algeria won the 1,500 with equal ease in 3:34.24, as Olympic champion Fermin Cacho of Spain was second in 3:35.56 and Jim Spivey of Glen Ellyn fifth in 3:37.42.
It was the second straight world title for Morceli, who had threatened to boycott the meet and criticized Nebiolo over the issue of not having prize money.
“Probably I was wrong before,” Morceli said. “I have no problem with Primo Nebiolo.”
