While gymnast Paul Hamm became further cloaked by a cloud of controversy over his gold medal, a new American star shined through Monday. Picking up where Michael Johnson left off, Jeremy Wariner became the sixth straight American to win the Olympic 400 title.
Wariner finished in 44.00 seconds–the fastest time in the world this year.
Wariner has been tabbed the successor to Johnson, who won gold in 1996 and 2000. After the race, Johnson came down from the stands, where he was doing commentary for the BBC, to congratulate him.
“I see a great athlete who at 20 years old has come out here and won. I didn’t do that at 20 years old, I didn’t make an Olympic team,” Johnson said.
Wariner was followed by Otis Harris (44.16) and Derrick Brew (44.42) for the first U.S. sweep in any Olympic track event since 1988 in Seoul.
The U.S. softball team joined in making a banner day for the U.S. But not everything that has transpired in Athens in recent days has been pretty–or sportsmanlike.
Playing hardball
U.S. softball 51, World 1.
The Americans were four outs from a tournament-long shutout when Australia scored the only run off American pitching in 56 innings at the Olympics. Stacey Porter ripped a two-out rocket past U.S. third baseman Crystl Bustos to score Sandra Allen.
The U.S. softball team won its third straight gold medal with a 5-1 victory over Australia. Lisa Fernandez pitched a four-hitter, and Bustos homered twice.
Hamm strung
Paul Hamm was the golden boy one moment, now he just can’t catch a break.
Hamm had to compete on the high bar Monday under a 10-minute barrage of boos from the crowd, who balked at another gymnast’s low score. Hamm still managed to tie Igor Cassina for first, but the Italian won a tiebreaker to take the gold.
Today Angola,
tomorrow the world
The U.S. men’s basketball team finally put someone else on the business end of a rout. The NBA-studded American team easily beat Angola, 89-53, their first easy victory in Athens.
One hitch: Angola is winless at the Olympic Games.
Another hitch: Angola is the only opponent the U.S. has faced that didn’t play zone defense.
Losing gracefully
Russia’s Svetlana Khorkina, who was second to American Carly Patterson in the women’s all-round gymnastics competition, accused judges of robbing her of the gold and said “everything was decided in advance.”
“I’m just furious,” Khorkina told the daily Izvestia. “I practically did everything right, still they just set me up. … It’s because I’m from Russia, not from America!”
Losing gracefully, Part 11
Sprinter Maurice Greene had this to say about abdicating his 100-meters throne to newcomer Justin Gatlin.
– “I’m not ready to pass any torch yet.”
– “Of course I am” the Greatest Of All Time, as it reads on one of his tattoos.
– “Nobody comes close to my stats. And the way I figure it, if your stats are better than everyone else, that makes you the greatest.”
– “Tonight, the best man won. But there are other nights.”
