Olympic Journal, Day 9: Fast race, familiar hyphenated result

By Gil LeBreton

Star-Telegram

LONDON — Of the eight runners in the finals of the women’s 100 meters Saturday, three were Americans and two were from Jamaica.

A coin toss wasn’t an option.

The dead heat in the 100 at the U.S. Olympic Trials — the one that USA Track and Field officials ruled may have to be decided by a flip of an old quarter — added a passers-by curiosity to Saturday’s final.

But with British athletes having already whipped the crowd of 80,000 into a golden frenzy, the sizzle was clearly out of what should have been the race of the night.

The women, however, did not disappoint.

Jamaica’s double-hyphened star from Beijing, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, successfully defended her Olympic crown by winning in 10.75 seconds.

Teammate Veronica Campbell-Brown was third, 10.81. Carmelita Jeter of Gardena, Calif., the reigning world 100 champion, squeezed in between the two to win the silver medal in 10.78.

Allyson Felix, the center of the Trials’ coin-flip storm? Fifth.

Raise your hand if you think Texas A&M’s Jeneba Tarmoh could have done better. Hmm. I thought so.

A U.S. woman hasn’t won an untainted 100-meter final since 1996. (Marion Jones’ accomplishments in 2000 have been purged from the Olympic results books).

Fifth place, no matter how much NBC fluffs up her resume, seems about right for Felix, whose chances for gold are measurably better in the 200.

But it was simply too much race, too fast a final, for her and U.S. teammate Tianna Madison. Both ran personal bests, yet finished out of the money.

Place for place, in fact, there has never been a faster, deeper women’s 100 meters. The Nos. 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 times were the fastest in history for those places.

Fraser-Pryce became only the third woman to successfully defend her Olympic 100-meter title. The other two are Olympic greats — Gail Devers and Wyomia Tyus.

Maybe now Fraser-Pryce won’t be known in her native Jamaica as just another hyphen.

She was a clear favorite Saturday, even with Jeter in the field.

“I wouldn’t call them greedy,” Fraser-Pryce said. “But they expect a lot from us now.”

Jeter, who comes across poorly when compared to the friendly Felix, didn’t endear herself to anyone here, either. The questions for Jeter are always going to be about how a sprinter suddenly bolts to the top of her event at the age of 32.

And then in the post-race interview room Saturday, she barged right in and began giving her thoughts about her race, her goals, herself, just as the gold medal winner on her left was about to start answering a question.

It’s all going to make for another interesting 400-meter relay next weekend.

Lost day for the Longhorn

Texas wide receiver Marquise Goodwin can get back to football now.

After easily qualifying last week for the long jump final, Goodwin could only leap 25-7 1/4 on Saturday and finished a disappointing 10th in what was roundly viewed as a mediocre men’s field.

“I started off and fouled my first jump, which was my farthest jump,” he explained. “ It went down from there.”

The 12 finalists had three attempts, and then the field was pared to a final eight. Goodwin wasn’t among them.

After fouling on his first attempt, he appeared to just be trying to post a fair mark on his second jump. His third try was measured at 25-5 1/2.

“I couldn’t get on the board,” Goodwin said. “Disappointing day. I let everybody down.

“But I’m glad to be here. A lot of people here are Olympians, but only a few get a medal, and I’m not quite there. I can’t call myself one of those guys.”

All you need is Paul

As Baron de Coubertin once said, sort of, the important thing at the Olympics is not to win, but to have the right background music.

At the Olympic Stadium this weekend, a bold innovation is provoking reaction from both the media and spectators. It’s the first track and field meet with a soundtrack.

Athletes are being introduced for their events amid a dramatic fanfare. Distance runners are circling the track with sprightly instrumentals ringing in their ears. I like it. But some don’t.

“We have actually had loads of really positive feedback about the atmosphere and the music,” London 2012 committee’s Jackie Brock-Doyle told the media.

Most of the time at the stadium Saturday, the music was nothing more than what a typical runner listens to on his or her iPod on a morning jog. There appears to be a DJ who raises the tempo of the background music to fit the moment.

Saturday was not a smooth jazz kind of day.

Track and field needs a soundtrack. Olympic organizers are doing it at the basketball venues, too.

“We have consciously gone out to ramp up the sports presentation,” Brock-Doyle said.

It works, especially during those awkward moments when the medal winners are draped in their flags and celebrating, and they suddenly realize it’s a five-minute walk back to the tunnel.

After the host team’s banner, three-gold-medal day, the Brits at the Olympic Stadium were ready to sing, anyway.

Between medal presentations, the stadium’s music guy played the Beatles’ classic, “All You Need Is Love.”

The crowd instantly sang along.

Even, as the big video board showed Sir Paul McCartney, who was watching the day’s historic events in the VIP seats.

238, N15, 474 — yike!

It was nearly midnight Saturday by the time the last medal winner filed out of the interview room at the Olympic Stadium.

And 2 a.m. was approaching as some of us, our Olympic dispatches filed, headed for the Stratford train station.

That’s when we discovered that the trains that we thought operated until 3 a.m. were no longer running. “No worries, friend,” the transport attendant said. “You can take the buses.”

I told him that I was headed to the University of East London, and he advised me to “take the 238.” Which, after waiting about 20 minutes, I did.

A half-hour and about 40 turns later, the bus stopped. I had no clue where I was.

“This is the last stop,” the driver informed me. “Where are you trying to go?”

When I told him, he shook his head.

“Oh,” he said, “you need to take the N15 and then change to the 474.” Some 40 minutes later, I was alone on a dark and empty London street, standing beneath a sign that read, “474 — 24-hour service.”

I began to wonder if that meant the bus only comes once every 24 hours.

Again, I had no idea where I was. There were no 24-hour McDonald’s in sight, no 7-Elevens.

The shadowy building behind me appeared to be a public library, except the fence was topped with barbed wire. What sort of library needs a barbed-wire fence?

Finally, after 30 minutes or so, the 474 emerged dramatically from around the corner.

I resisted hugging the bus driver, but I thought about it.

It was 4:30 a.m. when I finally walked safely through the gates at UEL. The normal 25-minute trip had taken 2 1/2 hours.

Back in the dorm room, I turned my Internet radio on to the “Classic Vinyl” station.

Of all things, they were playing Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London.”

Not funny.

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