OG - Atlanta 1996

Olympic Games Atlanta 1996

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Merlene Ottey at the Olympic Games - Atlanta 1996

Date

Discipline

Event

Place

Time

Medal

100 m

finale

10.94

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200 m

finale

22.24

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4 x 100 m

finale

42.24

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On a logo of the games there is a link to the official Games' Site at the IOC Sites.

100 m final

For the second time in their career Merlene Ottey and Gail Devers had a photo finish in one of the major Championship finals (the first time was at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany). Yet again Devers was judged the winner by a few thousands of a second. In the final Devers was the fastest out of the blocks with Ottey more than a meter behind, but in the last 20 metres Ottey was the fastest and she caught up with Devers at the finish line, where both women were given the time of 10.94 seconds.

Officials found that Devers was the winner, but Jamaica filed a protest saying that Devers only was first to cross the finish line with her head and not with the torso as the rules say. But after scrutinizing the finish photo the Atlanta officials confirmed that Devers was the winner. Therefore the result stayed the same and Ottey had to accept the Olympic silver medal - which still was better than the four Olympic bronze medals she already had received between 1980 and 1992.

100 m final (wind speed -0.7):
1. Gail Devers 10.94 sec.
2. Merlene Ottey 10.94 sec.
3. Gwen Torrence 10.96 sec.
4. Chandra Sturrup 11.00 sec.
5. Marina Trandenkova 11.06 sec.
6. Natalia Voronova 11.10 sec.
7. Mary Onyali 11.13 sec.
8. Zhanna Pintusevich 11.14 sec.

200 m final

After the disappointment in the 100 metre final this 200 metre final was said to be Merlene Ottey's last chance to get an Olympic Gold medal. But once again another female athlete popped up and got in the way of Ottey. This woman was Olympic Champion over 400 metres Marie Jose Perec that now made the double with the gold medal over 200 metres. Ottey and Perec won their semi-finals in 22.08 and 22.07 respectively and all was set for the big clash in the final. Here Ottey was ahead and looked fine up until 180 metres, but then her run started to "stiffen" and Perec stretched out her long legs and passed Ottey finishing in the somewhat disappointing winning time of 22.12 seconds.

200 m final (wind speed +0.3):
1. Marie-Jose Perec 22.12 sec.
2. Merlene Ottey 22.24 sec.
3. Mary Onyali 22.38 sec.
4. Inger Miller 22.41 sec.
5. Galina Malchugina 22.45 sec.
6. Chandra Sturrup 22.54 sec.
7. Juliet Cuthbert 22.60 sec.
8. Carlette Guidry 22.61 sec.

4 x 100 m final

For the fourth time in a row the United States won Olympic gold on the short relay. The Bahamian girls won a surprise silver medal. Merlene Ottey ran Jamaica’s last leg in the fastest time ever in a 100 metre with flying start (9.83 seconds). She passed Russia’s Irina Privalova on the last meters to secure Jamaica a bronze medal. That was furthermore her 7^th Olympic medal equalling the record of Irena Szewinska, Poland.

4 x 100 metre final:
1. USA 41.95 sec.
2. Bahamas 42.14 sec.
3. Jamaica 42.24 sec.
4. Russia 42.27 sec.
5. Nigeria 42.56 sec.
6. France 42.76 sec.
7. Australia 43.70 sec.
8. Great Britain 43.93 sec.

Merlene Ottey and Gail Devers crossing the finish line in the 100 metre final


		REMARKS:
	1	5.th olympic medal
	2	6.th olympic medal
	3	7.th olympic medal - equalled Irena Szewinska's record

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