‘We wanted our legacy to carry on – the guys did that’
Triumph in the sprint relay in London ended Britain’s 13-year wait for a major title in the event. Ahead of their reunion race, the 2004 Olympic champions tell Ben Bloom how they upset the odds
Going into the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the feeling circling around the British 4x100metres team was anything but positive. Bungled baton changes had ruined medal hopes at the previous two Olympics, Dwain Chambers’s steroid ban meant they had been stripped of their European title and Britain’s sprinters had been described as ‘B-standard athletes’ in the media. For the first time since 1976, Britain did not have a single 100 m or 200 m finalist.
How did all the negativity affect the team?
Marlon Devonish The other three guys all did the individuals, but I was there as a reserve and got picked late for the relay squad. What was interesting was that I got to hear everything going on behind the scenes and I was like, “Boy, these guys are under pressure”.
Darren Campbell I was ready to go home because I’d had enough. People were saying that I was faking an injury and it just got messy. I decided I needed to speak to these guys, so we had a team meeting and I was straight up with them, saying I wanted to go home and be around my wife and kids. But I said to them, “If you want me to stay, I’ll stay.” Once they said they wanted me to stay, that was it. I knew we would win.
Mark Lewis-francis I remember that meeting. It was in a boiler room in the Olympic Village.
Why was that meeting so important?
DC We had nothing to lose. The media had already said we were a disgrace so we couldn’t get any lower. That’s how we had to see it. The meeting was a chance to ask everyone, “Will you die for me? If you won’t die for me, then what are we bothering for?” Because we were all in a low mental state, we could uplift together.
Jason Gardener We knew we had made mistakes before and the management had made mistakes as well. Four years earlier, when we were disqualified, the team hadn’t been picked until the night before and we had been expected to win at least a silver medal. Chaos broke out and there was no team dynamic, so right at the pressure moment we crumbled. In Athens we recognised that the Americans were a dysfunctional team like we had been, but this time we were connected. The media stories galvanised us to form a real strong bond. Having qualified second-fastest from the semi-finals, the British team had lane three for the final, two lanes inside the Americans, who had the 100 m gold and bronze medallists and were widely expected to win. With everyone settled, Gardener made a false start. Under the rules at the time, the false start counted against the entire field, which meant whoever now committed a false start would be disqualified.
DC We didn’t know until literally a few weeks ago that Jason false-started on purpose.
JG Well, we didn’t need to talk about it afterwards because we won gold.
Wait a minute. Did you really false-start on purpose?
JG I knew that I had to give these guys a chance and not let Justin Gatlin take two metres out of me, which on paper he should do. So I knew I had to be absolutely on point. I hadn’t planned it, but it was only in the set position that I thought, “I’m going to chance this.” It got called and that meant I was then in ownership of the race. So I felt a great sense of power having false-started and I relished that.
What were the rest of you thinking?
MLF It’s over. My heart sank. But it was kind of a slap round the face. MD I wasn’t bothered. Whatever the reason, it did not faze me. DC: The one thing we knew Jason could do was start. So I wasn’t worried. The race got under way at the second time of asking and the Americans built up a significant lead by halfway, only to blow it at the second changeover. By the time the baton was handed to
Lewis-francis, he had a metre lead over Maurice Greene.
What were you thinking when Mark was given the baton in the lead?
DC I was on my knees praying, so I didn’t even see it.
JG It was what I expected. I didn’t have any doubt that we would lose it, even with Maurice closing him down. That night, the feeling was so powerful and strong. It is difficult to convey it but if you could bottle it and sell it, you’d be a very rich man. We honestly felt like we had a higher, superior feeling that we were going to do something special. That night collectively we became a greater force.
MLF There was something in the air. You could taste it. Since that day I’ve never experienced anything like it.
JG When you hear about people being in the zone I always thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if that happened to me.” It did – and it felt fantastic. Dipping as he reached the line, Lewis-francis held off former Olympic 100 m champion Greene to see Britain home in 38.07sec – just 0.01sec ahead of the Americans. Injuries and retirements meant the quartet never ran together again. Until now.
You will be reunited on the track for the first time today in a guest 4x100m race at the Manchester International athletics meeting. Why now?
DC I’m a Manchester lad and with everything that’s gone on in Manchester recently, I saw it as an opportunity to give something back. What a great opportunity to come back and run one more time. BB Are you going to go out hard?
MLF Yeah, it’s a no-brainer. A race is a race, right?
MD Let’s see what Mark is like if we don’t give him a lead this time. My hamstrings are twingeing just thinking about it.
DC I’m just happy to be back on the track with these guys. As soon as I put the call in to them, they all said yes straightaway. One moment in time created a bond that will be there for ever. Thirteen years after the Athens Olympics, a British men’s
4 x 100 m relay team finally won gold again when Chijindu Ujah, Adam Gemili, Danny Talbot and Nethaneel Mitchell-blake won the world title in London last weekend.
How did it feel finally seeing a British team achieve what you had managed all those years ago?
DC I’m just so proud of them. As a quartet we’re not bitter or envious in any shape or form. We wanted the legacy of what we achieved to continue and these guys have now taken that on. I just hope it’s given them a level of belief and they can take it into their individual performances. I actually sponsor Chijindu and Danny and I wouldn’t have been able to set up my business without my Olympic gold, so it’s a direct legacy of 2004.
JG They were sensational. It was reminiscent of us in 2004, clearly having an understanding of what it takes to win at that level.
Will their lives change now?
DC When I saw them after the race, I just laughed because I could see the same emotions that we had in 2004, where you just don’t believe what’s happened. You dream about it and keep the belief, but when it happens it’s mindblowing.