Perfectly executing his role of favourite, Shawn Crawford captured the gold medal in the 200 metres with one of the most dominating performances in modern Olympic history.
Reaching the line in 19.79, his margin of victory over runner-up Bernard Williams was a stunning 22/100s of a second, second only in recent history to Michael Johnson’s legendary world record run in Atlanta eight years ago.
Unfortunately, it took some time for athletics fans around the world to witness Crawford’s command performance.
With utter disregard and disrespect for the athletes in the blocks, chants, boos and whistles of protest by a large section of the sell-out crowd caused a long delay, several restarts, and a false start. It was disgustingly unsportsmanlike display in total contrast to all the previous days of these Games during which the action and achievements of all the athletes have been enthusiastically and joyously celebrated by the Olympic stadium crowd.
When the race was finally run, the top four finishers, led by Crawford’s world leading peformance, all ran faster than Greek Kostas Kederis’s winning performance from Sydney. Completing the podium sweep for the U.S., the sixth over all and the first in 20 years, was recently-minted 100 meter champion Justin Gatlin, who reached the line in 20.03, just a few centimeters behind Williams.
1996 silver medallist Frank Fredericks, contesting the final race of his illustrious career, was a distant fourth in 20.14, edging Francis Obikwelu of Portugal, the short dash silver medallist. He too was credited with a 20.14. Stephane Buckland of Mauritius was sixth in 20.24, while Germany’s Tobias Unger, running in the tight confines of lane one, was a distant seventh in 20.64. Jamaica’s Asafa Powell did not start.
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