Mutola
tries to put Sydney behind her
By IAAF Correspondent
17 February 2001 - Whatever country and whatever race Maria Mutola competes in this season, she will run with one rule: Forget about Sydney.
Not that Mozambique’s greatest sports star has any reason to because the Olympic Games were the finest and perhaps defining moment of her career as she won the 800 metres in thrilling style.
But as she embarks on another year of title-chasing, she says: "It was hard to get myself going after Sydney but the important thing is to try and forget about Sydney and focus on this year. If I lost my focus, it would not be good. I have to pretend I haven’t won anything and that this year will be my first indoor title. But the hunger is still there, I run for titles, it is important for me to lift my country more."
The reception Mutola, 28, received when she returned ‘home’ after Sydney was incredible. "It was like I was royalty," she says.
Mutola became the first Mozambique sports star to win Olympic gold when she charged off the home bend in Sydney to overtake leader, Kelly Holmes of Britain, and fend off a challenge from Stephanie Graf of Austria.
The spin-offs in her home country were remarkable and now, having began her indoor season at Ricoh Tour in Stockholm where she was happy to break two minutes for the 800m, she runs in Birmingham this weekend looking to build towards regaining the World Indoor title in Lisbon next month.
She says: "People have said to me why didn’t I win at the Olympics in Barcelona (she was fifth) and Atlanta (she was third). They forgot I was young in Barcelona, I was learning, and in Atlanta it did not go well, even though winning bronze was still big but I needed more, so to be able to come back and be so successful is fantastic.
"When I quit, I can say I have achieved the most important things...winning the world titles and now the Olympic Games."
Mutola, who is based between Eugene, Oregon, in the USA, where she has lived since being there at University, and South Africa, to be near her brother and friends, has no plans to quit. She is determined to be good enough and quick enough to retain her title in Athens in four years time.
"I have one more Olympics in me—at least," says the 1993 World Champion. "If I did retire, I have my own foundation back home to help young kids in sport and I hope that will grow. I would probably coach somewhere too."
But wherever she goes in Mozambique, she is given a reception beyond her wildest dreams.
"On the first day I arrived there after the Olympics, I had never seen so many people waiting at the airport in Maputo (the capital)," she adds. "And they were all there for me.
"Schools were closed so the students can come and see me.
"I grew up in Maputo, my family live there and the President made a plane available for me to travel from state to state to go and visit and talk to people.
"Yet what was amazing was that in parts of the country I had not been before, there were huge crowds at other airports. The whole streets—from the airport to the hotel—was filled with people, it was very special. I felt like royalty.
"They have named one of the Mozambique streets after me and even my old school has been renamed after me."
