A spot in the annals of history and notoriety outside of the realm of athletics are guaranteed for the fastest person in the world.
—suddenly,Suddenly, —suddenly,Mike Costello, a former sports commentator, says, “All the noise, the talking and the hype have subsided – suddenly you can almost hear the athletes breathing.” He refers to this dramatic silence that occurs shortly before the starting pistol.
NewsNewsNewsTen Second Showdown, a new series by Costello on news Sounds, tells the histories of some of the most famous 100-meter races ever.
experiencedexperiencedexperiencedAnd just in case you were wondering, he experiences what it’s like to compete against Usain Bolt.
Margaret Thatcher’s government wanted athletes from the United Kingdom to withdraw from the 1980 Moscow Olympics in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, after the United States had led the boycott.
Former long jumper Allan Wells, along with his wife and coach Margot, trained in an Edinburgh garage, defying intense pressure from 10 Downing Street.
Silvio Leonard, Wells’s Cuban competitor, was present in Central Lenin Stadium when he lined up for the 100-meter final, but the heavily-favored Americans were not.
As they crossed the boundary, it appeared impossible to separate them. In 10.25 seconds, the Scot was declared the winner after an excruciating wait.
The absence of the United States and West Germany at the 1980 Games, according to some, diminished its significance.
