Sprinter dives, comes up with gold
For beating Allyson Felix, Shaunae Miller gets a gold medal. Maybe they should give her a cape, too.
It took a head-first dive, Superwoman-style, for Miller to spring an Olympic upset Monday over the United States’ top female sprinter in the 400 meters and deny her a record fifth gold medal.
Miller, a 22-year-old from the Bahamas, took an early lead, then held off Felix’s charge along the straightaway. Neck and neck with two steps to go, Miller sprawled and tumbled across the line to win by .07 of a second.
Now, instead of a coronation for Felix, it’s acelebration for Miller, who finished second to the US sprinter at last year’s world championships.
“I don’t know what happened. My mind just went blank,” Miller said. “The only thing I was thinking (about) was the gold medal, and the next thing I know, I was on the ground.”
As Miller, who formerly competed for the University of Georgia, lay on her back, gasping for breath and maybe even stunned herself at what she’d done, Felix sat on the ground stone-faced. Ten seconds passed. Then 20.
The winner’s first clue came from the stands, not the scoreboard, which showed Miller winning in 49.44 seconds.
A familiar voice cut through the air.
“I heard my mom screaming,” Miller said. “When I heard her screaming, I was like, ‘OK, I had to have won the race’. ”
Stride for stride, Felix and Miller ran down the last 100 meters, until the last few steps. Felix, classically trained by Bobby Kersee, made a textbook lean into the finish line. Miller tried something else, something no coach would ever teach.
“She gave everything she had and her legs gave out at the line,” said Miller’s coach, Lance Brauman, who also works with 100-meter silver medalist Tori Bowie of the US.“(It) was not intentional.”
Although Miller, who ended up with a few scrapes and bruises, jumped with her arms flailing forward, the rules say the win is determined by which athlete has any part of her torso cross the line first. The photo finish showed Miller’s shoulder barely beat Felix to the line.