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[music playing]

NARRATOR: In the summer of 1936, an historic ceremony

took place for the first time at the Olympic games--

a torch run beginning at the ancient ruins of Olympia,

Greece and ending at the Berlin Olympic Stadium,

a journey of 1,900 miles.

It was a tradition that would be revived at every Olympic Games

since.

[music playing]

And so it was six decades later, as the midday

sun rose in the sky at Olympia, the tradition continued.

[music playing]

The igniting of the Olympic flame,

the start of a journey that would end at the Atlanta

Olympic Stadium for the celebration of the Centennial

Olympic Games.

[music playing]

The torch was flow to California, where, at the Los

Angeles Colosseum, the scene of the 1984 games,

the torch would begin a 12-week journey

across the United States.

[music playing]

By day and by night, by land and by sea,

the torch will pass through 42 of the 50

United States, a relay of more than 12,000 runners.

[music playing]

A journey that will cover more than 15,000 miles

before the flame reaches the urn at the Olympic Stadium,

where it will burn throughout the games.

[music playing]

On Thursday, July 18, the torch arrives in Atlanta.

The next day, it will reach its final resting place,

the Olympic Stadium.

[music playing]

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Ladies and gentlemen,

welcome to the opening ceremony at the games

of the 26th Olympiad.

[music playing]

NARRATOR: At 8:30 in the evening of July 19,

as the torch continues to move through Atlanta,

the celebration inside the stadium begins.

[music playing]

It is the centennial celebration,

the 100th anniversary of the revival

of the modern Olympic Games.

[music playing]

It is a ceremony that depicts the grandeur

of the Olympic spirit intertwined with a tribute

to America's South.

[music playing]

Banners representing cities that held the games of the past

crisscross the stadium.

This is the fourth time an American city would

host the Summer Olympic Games--

St. Louis in 1994, Los Angeles in 1932 and 1984.

Atlanta is the first city in the American South

to be so honored.

[music playing]

Now the parade of nations--

more than 10,000 athletes from almost 200 countries,

the first time that every nation invited

has sent teams to compete.

Traditionally, Greece is the first nation

to enter the stadium, one of four countries

to compete in every Summer Olympic Games.

The others-- Australia, Great Britain, Switzerland.

[music playing]

Unfamiliar countries will compete for the first time,

joining the better-known nations of the world.

[music playing]

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): People's Republic of China.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Denmark. MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Denmark.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Djibouti.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Djibouti.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]..

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Ethiopia.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]..

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Fiji.

NARRATOR: The parade includes 197

countries, 28 more than competed four

years earlier in Barcelona.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Great Britain.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]..

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Georgia.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]..

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Germany.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]..

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Hungary.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]..

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Ireland.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]..

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Italy.

[music playing]

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]..

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Japan.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]..

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Korea.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]..

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Kenya.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]..

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Mongolia.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]..

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [inaudible]..

NARRATOR: For the first time, all 15 republics

of what was formerly the Soviet Union

will compete under their own flag.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [inaudible]

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]..

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Turkey.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]..

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): The Ukraine.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]..

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [inaudible]..

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): The United States of America.

NARRATOR: Finally, the host nation, the flag-bearer,

Bruce Baumgartner, two-time super heavyweight gold medal

winner in freestyle wrestling.

[music playing]

The United States has competed in every Olympics except one--

the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games.

[music playing]

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Ladies and gentlemen,

we are honored to present the athletes at the games

of the 26th Olympiad.

Tonight, as we--

NARRATOR: The president and chief executive officer

of the Atlanta Olympic Organizing

Committee, Billy Payne.

--the centennial celebration of the Olympic Games,

as we bear witness to the largest

gatherings of nations ever.

As we applaud the greatest assembly of athletic talent

the world has ever known, let us rejoice.

And let us resolve that these Olympic games

can reflect a hope for a brighter

future, a better world.

[applause]

On behalf--

NARRATOR: The President of the International Olympic

Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch.

And also, we welcome all of you

to the Games of the 26th Olympiad, the Centennial Games.

[applause]

In the Olympic movement, only weapon is sport.

Because sport is friendship.

Sport is health.

Sport is education.

Sport is life.

Sport brings to world together, as it is here today in Atlanta.

[applause]

I now have the honor and privilege

of inviting the President of the United States

to proclaim open the Games or the 26th Olympiad,

the Centennial Games.

[applause]

I declare open the gates of Atlanta,

celebrating the 26th Olympiad of the modern era.

[music playing]

NARRATOR: The Olympic flag enters the stadium.

[music playing]

The flag is borne by eight American Olympians of the past.

[music playing]

Now the final act of the drama is at hand.

Symbolic doves are released to spread their message of peace

to the world.

Al Oerter, four-time discus gold medal winner,

carries the torch into the stadium.

[music playing]

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]

[music playing]

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Ladies and gentlemen, the Olympic flame

is now approaching the stage.

[music playing]

NARRATOR: Boxing medalist and future

world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield.

Honoring the Olympic birthplace, Paraskevi Patoulidou of Greece,

1992 hurdles champion, joins Evander Holyfield

as they hand off to Janet Evans, the winner

of four swimming gold medals.

[music playing]

Finally, Muhammad Ali, 1960 Olympic light heavyweight

boxing gold medal winner.

[music playing]

The opening of the 1996 Centennial Olympic games

of Atlanta.

[cheering]

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Ladies and gentlemen, welcome--

NARRATOR: Monday evening, the 29th of July,

is perhaps the most memorable night of the track and field

competition in Atlanta.

The name Johnson highlights two of the finals.

Allen Johnson of the United States

wins the 110 meter hurdles.

Then his countryman Michael Johnson comes roaring

home to win the 400 meters.

The women's 800 meters is expected

to be a duel between Ana Quirot of Cuba

and Maria Mutola of Mozambique.

But in a thrilling upset, Svetlana Masterkova of Russia

holds off the two favorites to win the gold medal.

[music playing]

In the men's 10,000 meters, Ethiopia's Gebrselassie's

victory gives credibility to those

who believe him to be one of the greatest long-distance runners

in history.

But the event that would captivate the thousands

in the stands and millions throughout the world

is the men's long jump, a story more believable as fiction

than fact--

the attempt of America's Carl Lewis

to win his fourth straight gold medal in this event.

To many, the appearance of 35-year-old Lewis is a miracle.

After failing to make the American team in the 100

and 200 meters, Lewis barely qualified as the third member

of the United States long jump team

behind Mike Powell and Joe Greene.

Then yesterday, in the preliminary round

for tonight's final, Lewis was on the verge of elimination

after failing to jump the qualifying distance of 26 feet

5 inches on his first two attempts.

Lewis, in 15th place, had one more try.

CARL LEWIS: At first I said, oh, my god.

What am I gonna do? What place am I in?

All this stuff.

And then I had to kind of calm myself down

and say, wait a minute.

Let's just look at the task as simple as possible.

And that is no matter what place you're in, if you jump 26' 5",

you qualify.

And then the last thing I thought about was if this is

your last jump in competition, make it

at least one that you gave the effort

and had a good time with.

NARRATOR: 27 feet 2 and 1/2 inches,

his longest jump in two years.

Lewis not only qualifies, but with this single effort,

moves from 15th place to the top qualifier for the finals.

At 7:00 PM the following day, 13 men

have qualified for the long jump final.

By the rules, eight men with the longest distances after three

rounds will remain in the competition

for the final three rounds.

Thus, five men will be eliminated

after the third round.

Lewis comes to these games with one of the greatest

records in Olympic history--

the winner of eight gold and one silver medal

in Los Angeles, Seoul, and Barcelona.

At the 1984 Los Angeles games, he

duplicated Jesse Owens's feat of winning four gold medals--

[cheering]

--the 100 meters, long jump, 200 meters, and as anchor

on the victorious 4 by 100 relay team.

This performance was particularly memorable

for Lewis, for Jesse Owens was his idol.

CARL LEWIS: Jesse and I met when I was 10 years old

and I was at a track meet in Philadelphia.

And I won a competition, a long jump competition.

And Jesse Owens didn't know me from any other kid out there.

But I was a small kid at the time.

He used me as an example.

So he said, see, kids?

The smallest kid won the competition,

so anyone can achieve it.

And this little line that Jesse Owens made

was a great message to the kids.

But Jesse Owens picked me out of a pack and said I was somebody.

NARRATOR: If Jesse Owens was his idol,

Carl's father, Bill, was his inspiration.

Bill Lewis died in 1987, but saw Carl win four gold medals

at the 1984 Los Angeles games.

The two would remain together forever.

CARL LEWIS: I wanted to see some things

of him alive and vibrant and energetic.

And I went back and looked at some track meets.

And one of the ones I remember seeing him was in Los Angeles.

Well, he was standing there in the stands.

And he was tall and strong.

And our mother was there.

And they were just clapping and proud.

All these things made me feel like he was right there.

I could always communicate because there was

something there connecting us.

NARRATOR: Now here in Atlanta, he

will try for his fourth successive gold

medal in the long jump.

If he wins, he will join American discus thrower Al

Oerter as the only other track and field athlete

to win four successive gold medals in the same event.

Lewis's task is formidable.

Four of the other finalists are capable of winning

the gold medal.

Two are his teammates, world record holder Mike Powell

on the right, and Joe Greene, who won the bronze medal four

years ago in Barcelona and who finished ahead

of Lewis at the Olympic trials.

The other two are Cuba's Iv n Pedroso,

the 1995 world champion, who recently returned

to competition after leg surgery,

and James Beckford of Jamaica, the 1995 world

championship silver medalist.

The competition gets underway.

Lots are drawn to determine the starting order.

Lewis will jump second.

On his first attempt, he fouls.

After the first round, the leader is a surprise--

the little-known Emmanuel Bangu of France.

He is not expected to stand on the award podium.

For Lewis, his foul is a bitter disappointment.

In two of his three previous Olympic victories,

his first jump was his best of the competition, which would

hold up through the six rounds.

CARL LEWIS: Walking around just kind of telling myself,

forget about the outside crowd.

Get your head back into what you're doing on the runway

because the entire time of the competition,

I don't think we went by 30 seconds

without hearing someone say, way to go, Carl!

You can do it, king!

Or let's do it again.

I mean, it was nonstop.

So I had to kind of blank that out.

NARRATOR: In the second round, Mike Powell of the United

States moves into second behind the Emmanuel Bangu of France.

[cheering]

Lewis gets off a fair leap for his second attempt

and moves into third place, still two inches short

of the leading Frenchman and an inch

and a quarter behind Powell.

For Lewis, there is much concern.

He is used to having the lead early,

thus placing the pressure on his opponents.

Being in first place after three rounds

has psychological benefits.

The leader will jump last in the final three rounds.

CARL LEWIS: I was on the edge of panic inside,

and not panicking in whether I can jump or not.

But before that third jump, I wanted

to make sure I had a big one.

So I figured if I was the last jumper,

it would put so much pressure on everyone in the competition,

every jump, that it would give me

a much better chance to win it.

But when I need that last little oomph in anything in life,

I talk to my father.

I said, Dad, OK.

Lead me in this way.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Next up in the long jump, [inaudible]

Carl Lewis, USA.

[cheering]

NARRATOR: 27 feet 10 and 3/4 inches--

his longest jump at sea level since he

won his third gold medal in Barcelona four years earlier.

Lewis's teammate Joe Greene becomes

the second man to go over 27 feet

and moves into second place.

Bangu falls to third and Powell to fourth.

Pedroso, not in top physical condition, jumps poorly.

He is eliminated from the final three rounds.

The standings at the end of three--

Carl Lewis in first place; Joe Greene second; Bangu , France,

third; Powell, United States, fourth; and James Beckford,

Jamaica, fifth.

Lewis is now in the commanding position

he is most comfortable with.

First place automatically makes him the last contestant to jump

in the final three rounds.

His plan to place undue pressure on the seven other finalists

works to perfection.

His main opponents-- Joe Greene, Mike Powell,

and James Beckford-- all foul in both

the fourth and fifth rounds.

Powell aggravates his groin muscle on his fifth attempt.

With one round left, Lewis still leads.

He will be the last man to jump.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Our next long-jumper,

James Beckford, Jamaica.

NARRATOR: Of the contenders, James Beckford of Jamaica

in fifth place goes first.

27 feet 2 and 1/2 inches, the second longest

jump of the competition, but still

8 and 1/4 inches behind Lewis.

He moves into second place, pushing Greene down to third.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Next up on the long jump

runway, Mike Powell, USA.

[cheering]

[scream]

NARRATOR: He fouls for the third straight time

and is out of medal contention.

CARL LEWIS: Well, when Mike was injured,

I knew that he was having problems.

So at that time, I thought it was appropriate to stay away.

Mike is a great champion.

I mean, nothing can take that away from him.

I mean, I had a tremendous opportunity

to win the gold medal.

But he's a world record holder, and he's a great champion.

[cheering]

[scream]

NARRATOR: There are two men left who can beat Lewis.

First, Emmanuel Bangu of France,

the leader after the first two rounds,

and now in fourth place behind Lewis,

Beckford, and Joe Greene.

He has been jumping poorly after his first-round effort.

22 feet 6 and 1/2 inches.

Bangu finishes in fourth.

Now Joe Greene of the United States,

the only man left in the competition

who can defeat Lewis.

If Greene jumps one inch better than his personal best,

he will go into the lead.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Next up in the long jump, Joe Greene, USA.

NARRATOR: He fouls.

Carl Lewis wins his fourth straight gold medal.

CARL LEWIS: The first thing I did was completely

forget that I had a jump left.

And that moment, I jumped up and I went and I hugged Joe.

I went to the crowd.

I just wanted to feel a part of all

these people that were there.

[cheering]

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Victory ceremony, long jump, men.

Olympic champion and gold medalist, representing--

NARRATOR: The award ceremony takes place.

Carl Lewis wins his ninth gold medal.

But he has only eight in his possession.

When his beloved father died in 1987, at the funeral service,

he placed one of his Los Angeles gold medals

in his father's hands, joining them together for all time.

CARL LEWIS: And I remember my mother even making a comment,

like, are you sure you want to do this?

And I just blurted out, no thought process,

I'm sure because I'm gonna get another one next time.

[MUSIC - "THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER"]

NARRATOR: As the national anthem is played

for Carl Lewis for the last time,

there is one final tribute to his father.

CARL LEWIS: That was really a kiss to him.

And I really left there feeling like I

had fulfilled my final goal.

[cheering]

NARRATOR: On the evening of Sunday, July 28,

at the Georgia Dome, three events

are scheduled for the men's individual apparatus finals--

the rings, floor exercise, and pommel horse.

Before the evening is over, there would be many surprises.

On the rings, Jury Chechi of Italy is magnificent.

Four years earlier in Barcelona, he

was the pre-Olympic favorite, but injuries

prevented him from competing.

Since Barcelona, Chechi won four successive world

championships in this event, and this night in Atlanta,

he is superb.

[cheering]

There is a special honor for Jury Chechi.

He becomes the first Italian in 32 years

to win a gymnastic gold medal.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Ladies and gentlemen, Jury Chechi.

NARRATOR: There is a major surprise in the floor exercise.

The eight-man final includes three superstars--

Li Xiaoshuang of China, who earlier

won the individual all-around title, Alexei Nemov of Russia,

the silver medalist in the all-around,

and the legendary Vitaly Scherbo of Belarus,

who won six gold medals four years earlier in Barcelona,

but who could garner only four bronze medals in six events

here in Atlanta.

Incredibly, the winner is Ioannis Melissanidis of Greece,

who on this night is spectacular,

giving Greece its first gymnastic gold

medal in 100 years.

Greece's only other gymnastic victory

took place in 1896, when the modern Olympic games

were revived in Athens.

But perhaps the most dramatic moments of the evening

will take place after the eight finalists are introduced

for the pommel horse, arguably the most demanding event

on the men's program.

One of the finalists, Donghua Li,

born in China and for most of his competitive life

a member of the Chinese national team.

Here in Atlanta, however, Donghua Li will

be competing for Switzerland.

A naturalized Swiss citizen for the past two years, 29-year-old

Donghua Li is the oldest gymnast at the games,

yet this is his first Olympic competition, the climax

to a 12-year odyssey overcoming career-threatening injuries

and eligibility rules, a tribute to his great courage

and ability to endure.

In 1984, his spleen and kidney were removed

after a terrible accident in the vault. Two years later,

he tore both his Achilles tendons while tumbling.

Then several months before the 1988 Seoul Olympics,

still injured, he had a chance meeting

that changed his life forever.

[music playing]

This is Donghua Li and his Swiss wife, Esperanza.

In the summer of 1988, Esperanza was a tourist in Beijing.

Looking for a park to visit, she soon realized she was lost.

INTERPRETER: I still remember the day.

It was the 19th of June, 1988, a drizzling Sunday afternoon.

I was riding on my bike through Tiananmen

Square when I saw her.

I guess it was fate that we would meet.

ESPERANZA LI: He walked up to me and said, hello.

And then he asked me where I was from.

I said I'm Swiss.

It turned out that he wanted to practice his English.

At that time, he took English lessons.

And so I gave him a lesson on the street.

I stayed 10 more days in Beijing.

And we saw each other five or six times.

And I was really sad to leave.

[music playing]

NARRATOR: Esperanza returned to Switzerland,

and Donghua continued to train.

In December 1988, they were married.

A few months later, they moved to Lucerne, Switzerland.

ESPERANZA LI: He told his coach he met this Swiss girl.

They told him, you can marry her and stay with her.

But then you have to leave the national team.

Or you can stay with us and forget her.

And he said, I want to get married to her.

And he had to leave the team.

He had to leave Beijing from one day to the other.

NARRATOR: In Lucerne, he continued to train,

even though Swiss law required him

to reside there for five years before becoming a citizen.

He would miss the 1992 Barcelona Olympic games.

INTERPRETER: The five years from 1989 to 1994 were hard for me.

I had no income, but I trained every day.

My wife was working to support us.

1992 was particularly difficult. It was the year

of the Barcelona Olympics.

I could easily qualify for the Olympics,

but I had no country to represent.

I still had two more years before I

could become a Swiss citizen.

ESPERANZA LI: There were often moments when he came home

after training and said, I think it's no use that I

keep on training that hard.

I will never make it to the team.

And I said to him, look, you already trained three

years here in Switzerland.

There are only two more years to go,

and you can become Swiss citizen.

But let's keep on going.

You train so hard and so many years.

NARRATOR: It is July 28, 10:30 PM, the Georgia Dome.

Donghua Li will be the fifth of eight finalists.

The two men he fears most will precede him.

One is Marius Urzica of Romania, the 1994

world champion in this event.

The other, Alexei Nemov of Russia,

full of confidence after winning the silver medal

in the all-around championship four days earlier.

One of the major surprises is the nonappearance

of the magnificent Vitaly Scherbo of Belarus.

He finished 59th out of 102 competitors.

Fan Bin of China is the first competitor.

Fan Bin is a major surprise.

He finished first in the qualifying round in this event.

He falters on his dismount.

[applause]

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Ladies and gentlemen,

Fan Bin on the pommel horse.

NARRATOR: He is followed by Patrice Casimir of France.

Casimir tied for fifth place after the qualifying round.

[cheering]

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): That's Patrice Casimir.

NARRATOR: Casimir performs well.

He could win a medal, but his routine doesn't appear

good enough for the gold.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Now, ladies and gentlemen,

please welcome our next competitor--

NARRATOR: Now Alexei Nemov of Russia.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): It's Alexei Nemov.

INTERPRETER: Nemov is very strong.

He is a world-class performer in all the disciplines.

He won the silver medal in the individual all-around

and led the Russians to a gold medal in the team competition.

[cheering]

NARRATOR: The judges give Nemov off a 9.787,

putting him in first place.

INTERPRETER: Nemov gave an excellent performance.

Nemov and Urzica of Romania were the competitors

I feared the most.

NARRATOR: Now the fourth competitor,

Marius Urzica of Romania.

Urzica is superb and is given a 9.825 by the judges.

Urzica moves into first place, followed by Nemov.

Now the fifth competitor, Donghua Li of Switzerland.

INTERPRETER: I knew that Esperanza was in the stands

watching the competition.

This is so terribly important to me that she is there.

I know where she is sitting.

And every so often, we make contact with our eyes.

Knowing that my pregnant wife is there, yes, that

is very important.

[cheering]

When I dismounted, I knew I had performed a perfect routine.

If I outscored Urzica of Romania,

I knew the gold medal was mine.

NARRATOR: Donghua Li outscores Urzica

by five hundredths of a point.

He moves into first place.

ESPERANZA LI: When I saw the score,

I couldn't imagine another gymnast to get a higher score.

But for me, I wasn't relaxed.

We always say you have to wait until the last gymnast

has finished his exercise.

NARRATOR: The sixth and seventh finalists,

Huang Huadong of China and Yoshiaki Hatakeda of Japan,

cannot match the scores of the leaders.

They tie for fifth place.

Donghua Li is now a certain medal winner.

He must wait for the performance of Eric Poujade of France

as to whether it will be the gold or the silver.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): --ladies and gentlemen, is Eric Poujade.

NARRATOR: Poujade is making no mistakes.

He slips.

[applause]

Donghua Li wins the gold medal.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Ladies and gentlemen,

that concludes competition, as the scores are verified.

We will now prepare for the victory

ceremony for the pommel horse.

ESPERANZA LI: I was just so happy.

All the emotions you keep back, they burst out.

And beside our wedding, it was the most beautiful moment.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Now, ladies and gentlemen,

your pommel horse Olympic champion and gold medalist,

representing Switzerland--

NARRATOR: The victory platform ceremony takes place.

Donghua Li stands on the top step of the podium.

[cheering]

Flanked by Marius Urzica, Romania,

the silver medalist, and Alexei Nemov of Russia,

the winner of the bronze.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Please rise for the nation anthem

of Switzerland.

[music playing]

INTERPRETER: Standing on the victory platform

as the Swiss flag is raised in my honor, I thought,

what country am I from?

To me, I have two homes.

China is my home.

Switzerland is my home.

How fortunate it is that I can call both countries my home.

And then I thought of my wife, Esperanza.

I could not have done anything without her.

As I stood on the top step of the podium, she was with me.

For half of my Olympic gold medal belongs to her.

I could not have achieved this without her.

[music playing]

[cheering]

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Ladies and gentlemen, your men's

pommel horse Olympic champions.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): [non-english speech]

[music playing]

NARRATOR: So the story leaves off as it began--

two people from different societies

whose lives were changed by a chance meeting,

and because of it, will forever share

that ultimate moment in sport--

that of an Olympic champion.

This is the story of two swimmers

from different societies.

One is 24-year-old Alexander Popov of Russia.

Four years earlier in Barcelona, he won two individual gold

and two relay silver medals.

He will compete in the same four events in Atlanta.

The other is 21-year-old Gary Hall, Jr. of the United States,

who will be competing in the same four events

at his first Olympics.

He has publicly proclaimed that he

will take Popov's title of the fastest swimmer in the world.

It is 8:00 PM the evening of Monday, July 22, the Georgia

Tech Aquatic Center.

The stadium is filled to capacity awaiting the final

of the 100-meter freestyle.

The duel between Alexander Popov off Russia, the defending

Olympic champion and world record holder,

and Gary Hall, Jr., who many believe

to be the only swimmer in the world who can defeat Popov.

Hall has never defeated Popov, but his prediction

of victory in both the 100 meters and 50 meters

is not well received by the Russian champion.

ALEXANDER POPOV: I remember Gary from '94 when we first met.

And he was saying, I'm going to win two gold medals in Atlanta.

And he was saying, I'm going to beat him, and I'm the best.

I'm gonna win.

I was like, yeah, you've got to be responsible for your words

then.

It was sort of Cold War.

NARRATOR: Gary Hall, Jr. has been described

as a free spirit, animated and exuberant,

a personality that is in contrast

with the conservative Alexander Popov.

GARY HALL, JR.: Going into the Olympics,

there was a bit of animosity between us.

He came across the first time that I met him

as a very arrogant individual.

And first impressions tend to last.

But I'd say that it's very much a love-hate kind of thing.

Alex Popov is a necessary evil for me.

NARRATOR: Leading to Atlanta, Gary Hall, Jr.'s success

often has been associated with the exploits of his father,

Gary Hall, Sr. Two decades ago, he set 10 world records

and was the winner of two silver and one bronze medal

in the individual medley and butterfly events

at three Olympic games starting in 1968.

It was at the 1976 Montreal Games

that Gary Hall, Sr. introduced two-year-old Gary Hall,

Jr. to his first Olympics.

GARY HALL, SR.: I only gave him one bit of advice

before Atlanta.

And I gave it to him the same thing

every time he's gone to a major competition.

And that is I just said, Gary, go and have fun.

GARY HALL, JR.: Once you walk out on the pool deck,

you're in your own little world.

You have to do whatever it is that gets you

psyched up the most for a race.

You do it, whether it's shadow boxing or jumping up and down

or throwing your arms around real fast.

To hell with what anybody else thinks.

NARRATOR: The eight finalists for the 100 meters

await the start.

Alexander Popov, as the top qualifier,

will swim in lane four.

Below him, in lane five, wearing the USA cap, Gary Hall, Jr.,

the second fastest qualifier.

Gary Hall, Jr. has a good start.

ALEXANDER POPOV: I was a little bit slow off the blocks just

to be sure that I'm not disqualified.

I knew that Gary Hall was gonna go really fast the first 50.

So I sort of sat on his pace.

NARRATOR: As they reach the halfway mark,

Hall leads Popov by nine hundredths of a second.

GARY HALL, JR.: What I was thinking coming home

is this is gonna hurt.

I mean, this is a painful, painful experience.

But the pain is temporary.

Glory is a lifetime.

NARRATOR: Popov is gaining on Hall.

Alexander Popov, first.

Gary Hall, Jr., second.

Popov defeats Hall by seven hundredths of a second.

ALEXANDER POPOV: We send, oh, congratulations.

It's been a good race or something like that.

But he looked happy for the silver medal.

And he was pretty happy about it, actually.

And I do respect him.

GARY HALL, JR.: I mean, that was the best time of my life.

Plus I still had a couple relays.

I had the 50 to look forward to.

And I knew it was gonna be a great meet.

NARRATOR: By winning his second straight Olympic 100-meter

freestyle, Alexander Popov accomplished a feat

last done in 1928 by one of America's

greatest swimming legends.

ALEXANDER POPOV: I came into the central office

of the Russian team in Atlanta, and there

was a telegram for me.

And when I opened it, I read, we congratulate you.

You are the first man since our father

won back-to-back Olympic games, and good luck for the future.

The daughters of Johnny Weismuller, actually.

I was like, wow.

NARRATOR: The following evening, the final of the four

by 100-meter freestyle relay.

This time, there will not be a head-to-head confrontation

between Popov and Hall.

In a strategic move, the Russians decide to swim Popov

second, hoping that he can give his team

a big enough lead to offset Gary Hall's final leg.

Popov starts the second leg and gives the Russians the lead.

When Popow touches the wall, the Russians

are ahead of Germany and the United States by more than a

second.

Bradley Schumacher of the United States

cuts down the lead in the third leg.

As Hall gets ready for the final leg,

the Americans are still in third,

behind Russia and Germany.

In the history of the Olympic games,

the United States men have never lost

a four by 100 freestyle relay.

GARY HALL, JR.: As third leg was approaching the wall, guys,

we're in third.

This is supposed to be the one that we've never lost before.

NARRATOR: Russia, the United States,

and Germany hit the water almost at the same time.

Hall quickly goes into the lead.

With each stroke, he goes farther and farther ahead.

At the halfway point, he is a full-body length

in front of Russia and Germany.

Gary Hall, Jr. just swam the fastest 100-meter leg

in a freestyle relay ever.

RICHARD QUICK: Gary's performance

in the 400 relay in the Olympic Games was just startling.

I've never seen anybody swim as fast as he

did for the first 20 meters.

It was unbelievable how fast he swam right

at the beginning of that leg.

And it was a phenomenal performance.

GARY HALL, SR.: I remember after we won hugging Mary, my wife.

And we all cried together in joy for Gary.

And also, I think they did for me because they

knew that was a little piece of the gold medal

that I never won.

And I was happy for Gary because finally he could look at me,

and he used to say, see?

I am better than my old man.

And that was a great feeling for me.

NARRATOR: Two days later, the final

of the 50-meter freestyle.

Once again, Alexander Popov is the fastest qualifier,

14 hundredths of a second faster than Gary Hall,

Jr. Their lane positions are the same as in the 100 meters--

Popov in lane four, Hall in lane five.

Since Hall is a faster starter than Popov,

he is given a good chance to upset the Russian,

for the race is only one length of the 50-meter pool.

GARY HALL, JR.: The 50, there's no strategy.

It's just an all-out from the very time you hear the gun

until you touch the wall.

And it's just over so fast.

And when you have a race where eight

competitors are within 6/10 of a second of each other,

what a race.

NARRATOR: Popov is in lane four, Gary Hall, Jr., lane 5.

WOMAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Take your mark.

[beep]

[cheering]

NARRATOR: Popov defeats Hall by 13 hundreths of a second,

even though Hall swam the fastest

50 meters of his career.

Friday, July 26, the final evening

of the swimming competition.

The last event-- the 400-meter medley relay

and another head-to-head confrontation between Alexander

Popov and Gary Hall, Jr. They will both swim

the anchor leg, the freestyle.

Although the United States men have never

lost an Olympic medley relay, the Russian foursome

is capable of beating them.

Swimming the third leg for the Russians,

Denis Pankratov, who already won two gold medals in the 100-

and 200-meter butterfly and is the world

record holder in both events.

The Russian strategy is basic--

stay close to the Americans on the first two legs,

the backstroke and breaststroke, then

hope that Pankratov and Popov can bring home the victory

on the final two legs.

ALEXANDER POPOV: The Russian Olympic Committee

was expecting us to win because we

have Denis Pankratov on the team, really good butterflier.

And all the coaches were excited.

Do you think we have a chance to win

the four by one medley relay?

They go, yeah, we have!

We definitely will.

I'm like, hmm.

Who's gonna win?

I'm coming for second place.

NARRATOR: Popov's predictions are correct.

After the first two legs, the United States is almost

three seconds ahead of Russia.

On the third leg, Pankratov cuts down the American lead,

but not enough.

When Gary Hall, Jr. hits the water,

Popov is more than two seconds behind.

Hall makes the term for the last 50 meters.

He has increased his lead over Popov.

The only question is whether the United

States will set a world record.

In eight previous medley relays, the United States created

or tied the world record.

[cheering]

Another world record.

Although he lost twice to Popov in the individual events, Gary

Hall, Jr. swam faster than his adversary

in both of the American relay victories.

Popov and Hall each win two gold and two silver medals.

But with his victories, Popov earns for the second time

the title as the fastest swimmer in the world.

In two Olympics, he has won four gold and four silver medals.

Both Popov and Hall have declared

they will compete again in the year 2000

at the Sydney Olympic games.

No male swimmer has ever won three successive gold medals

in the same individual event.

Popov will make that attempt in the 50 and 100 meters.

Hall will try to stop him.

Perhaps Alexander Popov's words put their next Olympic meeting

in the proper context.

Said Popov, when you win your first Olympic medal,

you become famous.

When you win your second Olympic gold medal in the same event,

you are considered great.

If you win your third Olympic gold medal in the same event,

you are a part of history.

At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, Valerie Brisco-Hooks.

Of the United States made Olympic history

when she became the first athlete male or female

to win both the 400- and 200-meter events.

12 years later, here at the Atlanta Centennial Games,

this feat was duplicated by Marie-Jos P rec of France.

But in the 100-year history of the games,

no male runner had ever accomplished this feat.

On the morning of July 29, Michael Johnson,

a Baylor University graduate, is going

through his daily routine.

But this day is a special one.

Later this evening, he will be a finalist in the 400 meters,

the first part of the attempt to become the first man

in Olympic history to win gold medals

in both the 400 and 200 meters.

Though gifted with natural speed,

Michael Johnson attributes much of his success

to his upbringing and the teachings of his parents.

MICHAEL JOHNSON: My mom and my dad

both just took responsibility for their kids,

taking an interest in me as a kid and my other brothers

and sisters and what were we doing

and what we were interested in, and just basically

taking their responsibility and shaping us and molding us to be

good, productive individuals as we got older

and preparing us for adult life.

NARRATOR: Michael Johnson is the youngest of five children

born to Ruby and Paul Johnson.

Ruby, a schoolteacher, and Paul, a truck driver,

had a simple message for all of their children--

have a plan for each stage of your life

and be prepared for any eventuality.

My husband and I both wanted to make sure

that they were prepared, I think,

for what was going to come up.

And questioning them about what they were going to do,

what they were going to be, I think

gave them an idea to where they could think.

PAUL JOHNSON, SR.: He was brought up that way.

For instance, twice a month on a Sunday, we would have meetings.

Those were regular meetings.

And those meetings were to talk with the children

about the problems, have them plan things

and try to see how it worked out.

So he was brought up to plan and follow his plan.

NARRATOR: Perhaps the greatest influence

in Michael Jackson's life is the relationship

with his older brother Paul.

MICHAEL JOHNSON: We've been best friends since we were kids.

Even though he's not an athlete, he still understands.

He's been with me enough to know the kind of things

that I go through, the pressures of celebrity

and being an athlete and just all of those things.

And so he's someone that I can talk to and won't judge.

And he'll give me his honest opinion

and won't say what he thinks that I want to hear.

PAUL JOHNSON, JR.: He is my best friend.

It's amazing when I think back upon the child that he was,

who he grew up to actually be, and who he turned out to be.

And it's an interesting relationship

because I confide in him just as much as he does me.

He's my best friend and confidant.

And it's mutual between the two of us.

NARRATOR: Now, on the evening of July 29, eight

men get ready for the 400-meter final.

Michael Johnson of the United States, in lane four,

has won 54 straight finals, a streak that began

seven years earlier in 1989.

His appearance here in the 400 meters has been a long wait.

Four years earlier, at the 1992 Barcelona games,

he was the heavy favorite to win the 200 meters.

Incredibly, he finished sixth in his semifinal

and did not qualify for the final.

He did win a gold medal as a member of the four

by 400 relay team.

But for Johnson, it was small compensation.

MICHAEL JOHNSON: Two weeks before the Olympics,

I was in Spain and ran in a meet and got food poisoning.

And my training suffered from it and lost a lot of weight.

And so when I got to Barcelona, I just wasn't 100%

and wasn't able to perform at the level

that I'm normally used to.

It was the biggest disappointment

of my career, probably the biggest

disappointment of my life.

It wasn't something that I wanted to go

through again on the relay.

But they needed me on the relay, and I felt like I had

a responsibility to do that.

So I went out there.

We tied the world record.

So if I'd have been able to run a little faster,

we would have broken the world record.

So that didn't make me feel any better, either.

NARRATOR: Now here in Atlanta, Michael Johnson

is in lane four.

Roger Black of Great Britain is to his left in lane three.

He is the only one to win his three qualifying heats.

The lanes are staggered, so it is usually

difficult to see who is in the lead

until the turn into the final straightaway.

At the halfway point, it is obvious that Michael

Johnson is fastest of all.

[cheering]

Down the stretch, Johnson is pulling away from Roger

Black of Great Britain.

[cheering]

Michael Johnson, United States, first.

Roger Black, Great Britain, second.

Davis Kamoga, Uganda, third.

Johnson's margin of victory is almost a full second,

the largest of any 400-meter final

since the 1896 games in Athens.

Now that the race is over, the first ones Michael Johnson

will greet are his parents.

After the final, he gave a shoe to his mother, and then

a shoe to me.

That was pretty neat for him to do that.

NARRATOR: Before the race, Roger Black predicted the outcome.

Said black, Michael has been undefeated in the 400

meters for seven years.

The final is really to see who will win

the silver and bronze medals.

ROGER BLACK: It's a great feeling

to get a silver medal at the Olympics

behind Michael Johnson.

He's a great athlete.

And whoever comes second to him has got

to be pretty good themselves.

It's a wonderful feeling, the Olympics,

to get an Olympic medal. I haven't received it yet.

I'm gonna go out and receive it in a minute.

And I'm trying to just tell myself to really savor

the moment 'cause too many people don't savor that moment,

you know?

And I'm gonna savor every second of it.

NARRATOR: Later, the awards ceremony.

For Michael Johnson, who four years earlier in Barcelona

won a relay gold medal, but failed

to qualify for the 200-meter final,

these moments are special.

MICHAEL JOHNSON: That was my first individual Olympic gold

medal.

I felt like it was something that had

been missing from my career.

And there had always been this fear I would finish my career,

and everybody would say, oh, he was one of the greatest

sprinters ever, one of the best athletes, best 400-meter

runner, best 200-meter runner ever in the sport,

but never won an Olympic gold medal.

And I was always afraid of that happening.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Please rise for the national anthem

of the United States of America.

NARRATOR: Michael Johnson stands on the top step

of the victory podium flanked by Roger Black and Davis Kamoga.

MICHAEL JOHNSON: They're playing "The Star-Spangled Banner"

for you as an athlete, and they're raising the flag.

And there's no other feeling like it.

[MUSIC - "THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER"]

The hopes of the entire country were resting on your shoulders,

and you came through for everyone.

There's no other feeling like it.

It's just almost indescribable.

[MUSIC - "THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER"]

[cheering]

NARRATOR: Three days later, more than 80,000 spectators

fill the stadium to witness Michael Johnson's attempt

at winning the 200 meters and completing

the never-accomplished 200-400 double by a male runner.

As the eight runners await the start of the 200-meter final,

Johnson's words were on everyone's mind.

Said Johnson, "the 200 meters.

This is what I'm here for."

Johnson's main opposition-- Frankie

Fredericks of Namibia, the man many believe

is the only one who can beat Johnson at 200 meters.

Fredericks always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

At the 1992 Olympics, Fredericks was second in both

the 100 and 200 meters.

Five days ago, Fredericks again won the silver

in the hundreds meters, finishing second to Donovan

Bailey of Canada.

Perhaps his greatest effort came in Oslo two weeks

before the Atlanta games.

Then, Fredericks beat Johnson in the 200 meters,

giving the American his first defeat

after 21 consecutive victories in this event.

Now here in Atlanta, Fredericks and Johnson

are the only two men to have won all

of their previous qualifying heats.

Though Johnson and Fredericks are expected to battle

for the gold medal, there are two

other runners who are capable of crossing

the finish line first--

defending Barcelona Olympic champion Mike Marsh

of the United States and Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago,

who earlier finished third in the 100 meters.

Now there is an interminable delay.

The runners were called to the track early.

It would be several minutes before the race would start.

MICHAEL JOHNSON: The sign of a true professional

is someone who's prepared for all of the unexpected things

that may happen.

Every athlete's been through false starts before.

Ever athlete's been through delays before.

And you have to go out there and expect that.

NARRATOR: At the Olympic trials in June,

he broke the world record set by Italy's

Pietro Mennea 16 years earlier.

Johnson has the best lane position.

He is in lane three.

To his write, in lane five, is Fredericks,

with Boldon in lane six.

Defending champion Mike marsh is in lane one on the inside.

[starting gun]

The start is clean.

[cheering]

At 50 meters, it is close.

Michael Johnson is coming on.

[cheering]

Michael Johnson, first.

Frankie Fredericks, second.

Ato Boldon, third.

[cheering]

Michael Johnson has broken his own world record

by more than 1/3 of a second.

Michael Johnson becomes the first man in Olympic history

to win both the 400 and 200 meters.

MICHAEL JOHNSON: There were a lot of emotions right then.

First and foremost was that I had completed the double.

And I had finally won a 200-meter gold medal.

And I felt like all along I could

break the world record again.

But to have broken it by that much,

it was a surprise even to me.

It was just a tremendous feeling of joy at that point.

NARRATOR: As the thousands in the stands and millions

throughout the world cheer his great effort,

they are unaware that he has sustained an injury, one that

would prevent him from winning a third gold medal as part

of the four by 400 relay team.

So magnificent is Johnson's record-breaking performance

it is not noticed that twice he was in potential trouble.

[starting gun]

MICHAEL JOHNSON: The third step was just

kind of a step that was kind of misplaced and kind of stumbled.

You have to just overcome it.

You can't worry about it.

You can't think about it too long.

[cheering]

NARRATOR: As he takes the lead, Michael Johnson

has one concern.

MICHAEL JOHNSON: There was some tightness in my hamstring about

10 meters from the finish.

I just kept running as hard as I could.

And it was sore and kind of tight after the race.

[cheering]

[music playing]

NARRATOR: So Michael Johnson takes another victory lap,

completing one of the most memorable

athletic feats in the history of the Olympic Games.

Perhaps the legacy of Michael Johnson cannot

be found on the track alone.

Rather, putting in proper perspective

how fleeting fame can be and how from the earliest days,

one must prepare not just for the games,

but for the game of life.

PAUL JOHNSON, SR.: Academics were always important.

Athletics will take away from your education

in many, many instances.

So that's why we stressed education.

But even being an athletic person,

you need some education to go along with it.

Otherwise, you get yourself into a bind.

RUBY JOHNSON: Getting that degree was number one.

We are very proud of the gold medals, yes.

But that degree was the number one thing for us.

And that always will be.

Because the gold medal, that is very important.

But that education can take him, to me, much

further than those gold medals.

MICHAEL JOHNSON: They've really focused on raising kids.

Most people kind of think it's automatic.

They wanted to be good at it, and they wanted good results.

And they made a lot of sacrifices

in order to make that happen.

To me, he's a wonderful young man.

And he's my fifth child and my baby.

[music playing]

NARRATOR: The day after opening ceremonies,

the swimming competition begins at the Olympic pool.

Over the next week, several memorable performances

were turned in by women, multiple gold-medal winners

who gained Olympic glory.

Penny Heyns of South Africa was a double gold-medal winner

in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke.

Then there were the tremendous victories of Beth Botsford

of the United States, who won two gold

in the 100-meter backstroke and another

as part of the victorious United States

400-meter medley relay team.

And 17-year-old diver Fu Mingxia of China,

the first woman in 36 years to win

both diving events, the springboard and the platform.

[music playing]

The most celebrated swimmer of the games,

Amy Van Dyken of the United States,

the winner of four gold medals in the 50-meter freestyle and

100-meter butterfly, and two more

as part of the two victorious United States relay team.

But of all the great moments by women that took place

in the Olympic swimming pool, there

is one name, unrecognized by most before the games,

who would be the main topic of conversation

during the seven days of competition.

[music playing]

These are the hills that surround Rathcoole, a village

with a population of 5,000 located

a short distance southwest of Dublin, Ireland's capital city.

[music playing]

Rathcoole is the birthplace of 26-year-old swimmer Michelle

Smith.

Competing in four events in Atlanta,

she is trained by her husband, Erik de Bruin,

a former world class discus thrower and now

a track and field coach.

Atlanta will be the third Olympics for Michelle Smith.

Her previous performances were not noteworthy.

In seven events, four in Seoul and three in Barcelona,

she never placed higher than 17th.

There was, however, one bright note for Michelle

during the Barcelona games.

MICHELLE SMITH: I met my husband in the cafeteria

in the Olympic Village.

One of the Irish girls was a race walker.

And she asked me if I wanted to go to lunch

with her and her boyfriend.

And I said I did.

And her boyfriend had brought along Erik.

We got chatting.

And I asked him out that evening,

and the rest is history.

NARRATOR: Leading to Atlanta, Ron Delany's 1,500-meter

victory at the 1956 Melbourne games

was the most famous of Ireland's five

Olympic gold medals ever won.

To date, no Irish swimmer has won

an Olympic medal in swimming.

TOM O'RIORDAN: The Irish swimmers

were the butt of a number of jokes on occasions.

But there was one famous story told which went something

like, you know, the good news today

is that none of the swimmers drowned in the pool.

NARRATOR: Michelle Smith, like all Irish swimmers,

was hampered by the lack of training facilities.

There was not a single 50-meter Olympic-sized swimming

pool in all of Ireland.

Two years after the Barcelona games,

Michelle Smith began training in Holland,

guided by her future husband.

It was in Holland that Erik De Bruin introduced her

to the training regimen he was familiar with as a track

and field athlete and coach.

ERIK DE BRUIN: When I first met Michelle and she told me

about her training, I was a bit surprised that she didn't do

that much in the weight room.

So we went a bit more serious when

it comes to weight training.

And she got a lot stronger and a lot faster,

and sprint times improved a lot.

MICHELLE SMITH: Well, Eric often tells me that I wasted so many

years doing the wrong training.

And he says if I was doing the same training that I'm doing

now eight or 10 years ago, that I would be an even better

swimmer now than I actually am.

NARRATOR: It is Saturday evening, July 20,

the final of the 400-meter individual medley,

an event that challenges the swimmer

in four disciplines-- butterfly, backstroke,

breaststroke, and freestyle.

The favorite in the race, 21-year-old Krisztina Egerszegi

of Hungary, the defending Olympic champion and already

a legend with four gold and one silver medal

from two previous Olympics.

The third fastest qualifier is Michelle Smith of Ireland.

Although in Seoul, Smith finished 25th,

and four years later in Barcelona, she

was 26th in this event, a year before the Atlanta games,

she was ranked second fastest in the world in two events.

Nevertheless, Krisztina Egerszegi of Hungary

is the heavy favorite to win and become

the only woman to win back-to-back gold

medals in this event.

[cheering]

MICHELLE SMITH: After the 1995 European championships, when

I came second to Krisztina Egerszegi

in the 400-meters individual medley,

I remember a swimmer coming up to me and saying, you know,

that girl is just unbeatable.

And my reaction was, no, she's not unbeatable.

Because I really believed that she was just human,

and she had two arms and two legs, just like me.

And if I trained hard, that I had a chance of beating her.

Maybe I wouldn't.

But I felt that she was beatable.

NARRATOR: With 100 meters left in the race,

Allison Wagner of the United States

leads, followed by Egerszegi, and then Michelle Smith.

Here in the freestyle, Michelle is

swimming fastest of the three.

She overtakes Egerszegi.

As she reaches the 350-meter mark, with 50 meters left,

she is more than a second ahead of Wagner and Egerszegi

and increasing the lead with each stroke.

[cheering]

As she moves toward the finish, Michelle Smith is all alone.

Michelle Smith, Ireland, first.

Allison Wagner, United States, second.

Krisztina Egerszegi, Hungary, third.

[cheering]

MICHELLE SMITH: I realized immediately that I had won.

And first there was a feeling of delight.

And then immediately after that, I more or less

went into shock because I had realized that in less than five

minutes, I'd achieved what I had dreamed

of for the last 17 years.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Representing Ireland,

Michelle Smith.

NARRATOR: The awards ceremony soon takes place.

Michelle Smith has made Olympic history,

the first Irish swimmer to stand on the top step of the podium.

MICHELLE SMITH: I would have been happy standing up there

seeing the flag go up for any color of the medal.

But seeing it go up for gold was really special.

It was also very special, then, to hear my national anthem.

So I had a great feeling of pride.

And at that stage, I was thinking about my parents

standing in the stands, but also for the people at home

because I knew that this was going to be something

special for them, as well.

[music playing]

NARRATOR: Two days later, on July 22,

the heats and final of the 400-meter freestyle

are scheduled.

Michelle Smith is one of the competitors.

Several nations protested her entry,

claiming her qualifying time, the fastest

in the world for two years and 18 seconds faster than her best

previous time, had taken place a day

after the entries were closed.

The international swimming federation, FINA,

agrees with the protesters, but is

overruled by the International Olympic Committee.

Michelle Smith was permitted to swim.

MICHELLE SMITH: The organizing committee

told the Irish Olympic Council that entries could be made

or changed up until the 17th of July.

So they thought that they had plenty

of time to put in my entry.

And it turned out when they arrived in the Olympic Village

that they were told that that information was wrong.

But luckily, the person in question

from the organizing committee came forward

and said he had made a mistake.

They had issued a booklet with erroneous information.

And the organizing committee had to accept that,

and they accepted my entry.

NARRATOR: Five heats of the 400 freestyle

are scheduled on the morning of July 22.

The eight fastest will make it to the final that evening.

The times in the first two heats are exceptionally slow.

It is now apparent that the finalists

would emerge from heats three, four, and five.

In the third heat, Janet Evans of the United States,

who set the world record eight years earlier in Seoul

and four years ago won the silver in Barcelona,

trails throughout the race.

Her parents, Barbara and Paul Evans, watch from the stands.

Janet Evans finishes second to Claudia Poll of Costa Rica,

but her time is 10 seconds slower

than her world record time.

Barbara Evans is fearful that it might not be fast enough

to make it to the final.

I don't know if she's gonna make it.

NARRATOR: Her fears become a reality.

In the last two heats, seven women swim the distance faster

than Janet Evans.

One of them is Michelle Smith.

Incredibly, Janet Evans doesn't make the final.

That night, Michelle Smith is again superb.

With 50 meters to go, Michelle Smith

leads Dagmar Hase of Germany, the defending champion,

and Kirsten Kielgass of Holland.

As they approach the finish, Smith leads, but Dagmar Hase

is cutting down the distance.

Hase is swimming fastest of all, but it is too late.

Michelle Smith wins her second gold medal.

With this magnificent victory, even

greater controversy follows.

In a sport where improvement is measured in fractions

of a second, Michelle Smith has improved dramatically,

more than 18 seconds in the 400-meter freestyle

over the past year, linking her performance with that

of her husband and coach, whose athletic career was

cut short three years earlier.

Then, Erik de Bruin tested positive

for the presence of a performance-enhancing drug.

Equally controversial-- the decision to permit her

to compete in the 400-meter freestyle, which,

in retrospect, was one of the reasons

Janet Evans did not make it to the final.

MICHELLE SMITH: It was only after the heats

of 400-meters freestyle that things actually became worse.

But I think that that was because Janet

didn't make the final.

And she was obviously very disappointed.

And I was disappointed myself that she didn't make the final

because then we would have had the Olympic champion

from '88 and the Olympic champion

from '92 in the same Olympic final.

And so for me, that meant that competing

against people at that level, I still came out on top that day.

And so I could call myself the best in the world.

RICHARD QUICK: Janet knew the assignment as far as getting

into the finals were concerned.

She came up ninth.

I don't hold that against the entry

procedure or anything else.

She just misjudged getting into the finals.

So I don't think Janet even holds

any kind of negative feeling that Michelle Smith

kept her out of the finals.

I think if you were to ask Janet, that she would say,

I didn't come up with a good enough performance

to be in the finals, and that's it.

NARRATOR: Two days later, Michelle Smith

is one of the eight finalists in the

200-meter individual medley.

She is the seventh fastest qualifier.

Also in the race is Lin Li of China, the defending

Olympic champion from Barcelona, where she set the world

record that still stands.

[music playing]

Each of the four strokes--

the butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle--

will be swum for 50 meters.

Michelle Smith will swim in lane one at the top.

Her strategy is to stay close with the leaders.

Then, as she did in the 400-meter medley,

go all out in the final freestyle leg.

As they turn for home for the final 50-meter freestyle,

Lin of China is in the lead.

Michelle Smith, at the top, is coming

on, along with Marianne Limpert of Canada in the middle.

[cheering]

With 25 meters left, Michelle Smith takes a slight lead.

Lin of China starts to fade.

Michelle Smith, Ireland, first.

Marianne Limpert, Canada, second.

Lin Li, China, third.

Michelle Smith's time is more than two seconds slower

than Lin Li's world record.

The day after winning her third gold medal,

Michelle Smith is preparing for the 200-meter butterfly.

MICHELLE SMITH: I was resting before my final event.

And my husband came into the room,

and he said, Michelle, there's somebody who wants to meet you.

And I said, who?

And he said, well, his first name is Bill.

And I started smiling.

And I said, it's not Bill Clinton, is it?

And he said, yes.

And so we went down to the pool, and I met him.

And he was very nice.

He was very gracious.

And he said that he admired me for what I had done in the pool

during the week, and he also admired

the way I could handle the pressure

that the media had dealt me.

NARRATOR: On the evening of July 26,

Michelle Smith is the second fastest

qualifier for the 200-meter butterfly, her last event.

She predicts this would be her finest race,

but it is not to be.

With 50 meters to go, Susan O'Neill of Australia,

the fastest qualifier, is in the lead

and still swimming strongly.

Michelle Smith and Australia's Petria Thomas

are in second and third place, on either side of her.

[cheering]

Susan O'Neill first, Petria Thomas second,

Michelle Smith third.

Michell Smith finishes her one week of glory

with three gold and one bronze medal.

[cheering]

[music playing]

Later, she returns home to a hero's welcome.

MICHELLE SMITH: The return home was great.

It was raining so hard, but there were still

hundreds of people who came out to Dublin Airport

and were standing for hours in the rain

to see the plane coming back and landing.

And we went in an open-top bus through the streets of Dublin

down to the city center.

And people came out of their work

and came out of their shops and their offices along the street.

That evening, I went to my hometown.

And I think that was the best welcome of all.

There were just thousands of people who crowded the streets

of my hometown that evening.

And that was very emotional coming back and realizing how

proud the people were there.

[music playing]

So Michelle Smith returns to her birthplace,

to the rolling hills of Rathcoole,

where in the early hours of July 21,

its 5,000 inhabitants cheered, cried,

and raised their glasses high in endless toasts

for one of its daughters.

For Michelle Smith made Irish Olympic history,

the winner of three gold and one bronze medal.

[music playing]

On July 28 at the Stone Mountain Archery Center,

64 men, the finest archers in the world,

stood 70 meters from their targets.

They would shoot 72 arrows to determine

rankings for the head-to-head matches that would follow.

The highest scorer would face the lowest

score in the opening round.

The second-highest scorer would meet the second-lowest scorer,

and so on.

With each round, the field would be

cut in half, for a single loss meant elimination.

To win the gold medal, the champion

would have to survive six straight head-to-head matches.

In the women's individual competition,

Kim Kyung-Wook of Korea defeated He Ying of China 113 to 107.

[cheering]

It was the fourth successive Olympic gold medal

won by a Korean, who have dominated women's

archery for more than a decade.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Ladies and gentlemen--

NARRATOR: But when the archers got underway for the men's

competition, it soon became apparent that there

was a changing of the guard.

New, young, strong, and nerveless

archers from around the world are replacing

the champions of the past.

By the beginning of the quarterfinal round,

with eight archers left, the new innovative one-loss-and-out

format has already sent many of the pre-Olympic favorites

to the sidelines, including the world's two

top-ranking archers, two past world champions,

and two Olympic champions.

One of the new breed to win his first three matches--

21-year-old Justin Huish, the last hope for the United States

after his two teammates were eliminated in earlier rounds.

Huish is not only competing before a home crowd,

but his personality has endeared him

to the spectators, a combination of immense talent

and boyish enthusiasm that sets him apart from the rest

of the world's top partners.

Huish became interested in archery at the age of 14,

when his parents, Bernie and Ona Huish,

bought an archery store in Simi Valley, California.

He had a natural talent as a youngster,

but practicing became a hardship.

There were no facilities less than 45 minutes from his home,

so Justin Huish devised his own practice arena.

JUSTIN HUISH: Well, basically, one day I woke up.

And I was like, I don't want to go

45 minutes to the local archery range and shoot.

So I just started practicing 50 meters from across the street,

from my neighbor's lawn, up the driveway, through the garage,

out the back door, across the backyard, onto the target mat.

BERNIE HUISH: As a matter of fact,

we would have gone even farther back into the neighbor's yard

if they would open up their doors

and let us go into their kitchen area

there to shoot longer distances.

And I think, again, it might go back to quote,

unquote "the lazy side of Justin," if you want to call it

that, where rather than drive 35 minutes to Woodley Park,

another range where he could get that 50-yard distance,

he'd just simply do it here at the house.

NARRATOR: In his quarterfinal, Huish would meet 20-year-old

Michele Frangilli of Italy.

Frangilli let it be known at the outset

that he would be a contender for the gold medal

when he finished first in the ranking round,

setting an Olympic record.

JUSTIN HUISH: Frangilli, the only time

I ever saw him before the Olympics was

at this tournament in Germany.

And he went there and finished number one on the ranking round

and won the tournament.

The number one guy going into the elimination rounds usually

never wins.

And he just went through the first time I ever saw

him and just spanked everyone.

And I was like, wow.

And then we go into the Olympics, and he came out,

and he won the qualification round.

NARRATOR: The format is the same for the final three rounds.

Each archer will ultimately shoot three arrows

at a distance of 70 meters.

The arrows are then pulled from the target.

This procedure takes place four times for a total of 12 arrows.

Theoretically, a perfect score of 120 points

can be reached if the archer shoots all his arrows

in the 10-point center ring.

ONA HUISH: During the actual match with Frangilli,

people were saying, well, were you aware

that he was ranked number one?

And he just shot an Olympic record

this, an Olympic record that.

And then the tension started mounting even worse.

NARRATOR: At the end of nine arrows,

Huish leads Frangilli 85 to 84.

Each has three arrows left.

Frangilli shoots first.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Eight points.

[cheering]

NARRATOR: An eight.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Nine.

NARRATOR: Huish leads by two with two arrows left.

Frangilli.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): 10.

10.

NARRATOR: Huish matches him.

Huish still leads by two.

Each has one arrow left.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): 10.

[cheering]

NARRATOR: A nine or 10 on his last arrow

will give Huish the victory.

An eight.

They are now tied.

They will go into a sudden-death playoff.

Huish will shoot first.

JUSTIN HUISH: So I just got up there and pretended

like it was the first arrow of the tournament,

and everything's on it.

And it just got so quiet.

And I came to full draw.

I mean, you could just hear everything.

A pin could drop, and you could hear it a mile away.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): 10.

[cheering]

NARRATOR: Frangilli must shoot a 10 to keep the match going.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): 10.

NARRATOR: They're tied again.

Frangilli will shoot first in the second tiebreaker.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Nine.

[cheering]

NARRATOR: Huish needs a 10 for the victory.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): 10.

[cheering]

JUSTIN HUISH: I was screaming.

I'm just like, I made it!

And my whole family was waving and screaming.

And everyone was just crazy.

NARRATOR: Now in the semifinal, Huish is sensational.

He crushes Paul Vermeiren of Belgium,

winning by nine points--

112 to 103.

Huish makes it to the final, where he will meet 21-year-old

Magnus Petersson of Sweden, who had two magnificent victories

over two Korean archers in the quarterfinal and semifinal

rounds.

Both Korean archers were pre-Olympic favorites

for championship honors.

The stage is now set for the 12-arrow final

between seventh-seeded Petersson and ninth-seeded Huish.

Petersson's most notable accomplishment

took place one year earlier when he won the 1995

World Indoor Championship.

JUSTIN HUISH: Shooting against Magnus,

I knew that he could just come on fire anytime because he's

the past world indoor champion.

And I knew that he made it to the gold medal match.

And this could be his chance right now to come on fire.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Eight points.

NARRATOR: But it is Huish who has caught fire.

After three rounds, nine arrows, he

leads Petersson by four points.

Incredibly, in gaining this lead,

he has shot three 10s and six nines.

Each has three arrows left.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Nine.

[cheering]

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): 10.

NARRATOR: Petersson's 10 cuts the deficit to three.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): 10.

[cheering]

Nine.

NARRATOR: Petersson can only answer with a nine.

Huish's lead is now back to four.

A seven or better on his last arrow

will close out the match no matter what Petersson does.

In the stands, Bernie Huish, Justin's father,

is videotaping the last act of the drama.

Come on, Justin.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Huish clinches the gold.

NARRATOR: Justin Huish wins the gold medal.

Justin's father was ecstatic.

This is how he recorded the last arrow.

ONA HUISH: When it gets to that final arrow, when Justin

finally clinches the match and win the gold medal,

all you basically see is the camera, it goes up to the sky,

and then down to the ground.

And all you see is it flailing around.

And you just hear him screaming.

Yes!

Yes!

[cheering]

NARRATOR: Justin Huish stands on the top step

of the award podium as the national anthem

is played in his honor.

The following day, he will again make it

to the top step, this time joining two teammates, Rod

White and Butch Johnson, in winning

the team championship over the heavily-favored Koreans.

JUSTIN HUISH: I have the unique opportunity

to be able to compete individually

and team, which is-- more sports don't have that.

It's either a team sport or it's an individual sport.

But I was just glad to see that Rod and Butch got a chance

to experience victory, too.

It was nice to have my teammates up there on the podium then up

there, and look at the flagging, and the crowd cheering

for you and everything.

That was really neat.

BERNIE HUISH: He's the kid next door.

He's the kid you could know from anywhere.

We hoped he would do good.

He didn't just do good.

He did spectacular.

[MUSIC - "THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER"]

[cheering]

NARRATOR: These are the French Alps.

Nestled in these mountains is the village

of Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux, home to 37-year-old Jeannie Longo.

Longo, once a ski racer, lives a simple life,

tending her garden, raising chickens,

and skiing in the nearby mountains whenever possible.

But she did not receive international acclaim

for skiing.

Rather, she is considered by most the greatest

female cyclist in history.

At 5 feet 4 inches and just over 100 pounds,

Jeannie Longo's success is unparalleled.

Her 10 world championships and three women's Tour de France

successes are a testament to her incredible talent

and determination.

Yet with her great achievements, she

remains one of the most controversial athletes

to compete at the Atlanta games.

SAMUEL ABT: Jeannie Longo is what

the French call a [french],, which

is literally a sacred monster.

And it means somebody who's larger than life, somebody who

you don't want to get in their way,

but somebody who's very talented.

You don't apply this just to some guy

who's got a bad temper.

This would be a phrase you'd use for a Picasso.

She seems not to care what effect she has on people.

I don't think she particularly cares about, as I say,

popularity.

What she cares about is winning.

INTERPRETER: Many people say that all I

care about is winning.

Winning is great, yes.

But I look at each race as setting a goal

and trying to attain it.

There's a bit of jealousy behind this talk, I think.

Away from cycling, I'm not aggressive at all.

At home, I lead a very simple, healthy, and peaceful life.

NARRATOR: At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics,

25-year-old Jeannie Longo is one of the favorites

to win the first road race ever held for women.

Another is Connie Carpenter-Phinney

of the United States.

It is Jeannie Longo who Connie Carpenter-Phinney fears most.

CONNIE CARPENTER-PHINNEY: In cycling history,

the greatest cyclists have always had names

that kind of invoke terror.

Eddy Merckx was called the Cannibal.

Bernard Hinault, her fellow Frenchman who I would liken her

to, is called the Badger because he

was tenacious, because once he got a bite out of you,

he didn't let you go.

And Jeannie has the exact same traits.

But because she's a woman, they're not

highly regarded, those traits.

In fact, they're questioned.

NARRATOR: With the race halfway over,

six women, including Longo, break from the pack of 45.

CONNIE CARPENTER-PHINNEY: There were six of us that had broken

away from the main group in LA.

And Jeannie dropped behind me.

We were coming in toward the finish.

And I'm wondering, where is Jeannie?

And she just plainly disappeared out of sight.

And the sprint starts, and I'm still

wondering, where's Jeannie?

And I really literally started my sprint too late because I'm

wondering, where's Jeannie?

NARRATOR: With 100 meters to go, America's Rebecca Twigg,

on the right, makes her move.

Connie Carpenter-Phinney, on the left, moves with her.

[cheering]

By one inch, Connie Carpenter-Phinney

is Olympic champion.

Jeannie Longo finishes sixth.

She is forced to walk her bicycle across the finish line

after Italy's Maria Canins collides with her this

before the finish.

INTERPRETER: This was one of the worst moments in my life.

I was preparing for my final sprint,

and the Italian girl hit my bicycle and broke the chain.

Just terrible.

I had to finish on foot.

NARRATOR: At the 1988 Seoul Olympics,

Jeannie Longo, number 18, seeks to atone

for her disastrous finish at the Los Angeles Games.

Longo was a heavy favorite.

But one month before these games, she fractures her hip.

Though not fully recovered, and against the advice of many,

she decides to compete.

INTERPRETER: I broke my hip exactly 30 days before Seoul.

It was a challenge for me.

The clock was ticking, and I had only one month to recover

and train for the Olympics.

One day, I thought I could win.

Then the next day, I wasn't so sure.

NARRATOR: Nearing the finish line,

45 riders have a chance at the gold medal.

Monique Knol of Holland sprints out ahead.

She wins.

Jeannie Longo finishes 21st.

The next year, Jeannie Longo announces

her retirement from cycling.

It is temporary.

At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, she

is riding again, her reason--

to win an Olympic gold medal.

Approaching the finish, Longo pulls away.

She sees no one in front of her.

Jeannie Longo crosses the finish line.

She believes she has won her first Olympic gold medal.

It is a tragic miscalculation.

Unknown to Longo, Katherine Watt of Australia

crossed the finish line 20 seconds ahead of her.

Katherine Watt is the Olympic champion.

INTERPRETER: When I crossed the finish line, I was exhausted,

and my husband came to me and said,

didn't you know that Katherine Watt was in front of you?

And I said, what do you mean?

What are you talking about?

Then I realized, oh, god.

Somebody had crossed the line before me.

NARRATOR: At the awards ceremony,

Watt receives the gold medal, Longo the silver.

Once again, Jeannie Longo has failed in her quest

for Olympic immortality.

It is 11:00 AM Sunday, July 21, 1996.

58 women prepare for the road race in Atlanta.

One of the favorites, Jeannie Longo.

This will be her fourth Olympics.

Others favored in this race--

number 23, Katherine Watt of Australia,

the defending Olympic champion; number 11, Imelda Chiappa,

and number 12, Alessandra Cappellotto, both of Italy;

and the Canadians, number 17, Linda Jackson,

and number 16, Clara Hughes.

At age 37, Jeannie Longo is the oldest rider in the race.

Most believe this will be her last Olympics.

INTERPRETER: Some people in the press

said I was too old to win.

But I felt confident.

For several weeks, I had trained in the Colorado mountains

while others trained in the heat.

I was in very good shape for Atlanta.

NARRATOR: The race begins.

[music playing]

The riders will make eight laps around the streets of Atlanta,

64 miles in all.

The race features two types of cyclists--

those with endurance, at push the pace

from the front, and sprinters, who with a burst of speed

can move into the lead at the proper moment.

Early on, there is an accident.

Canada's Linda Jackson, one of the favorites,

falls and severely injures her arm.

She is out of the race.

[music playing]

Through two laps, the 50 riders stay together.

There are no breakaways.

[music playing]

There is concern amongst the riders about

the hot and humid conditions.

There are several attempts to break away from the pack.

None are successful.

But on lap three, Italy's Alessandra Cappellotto attacks.

She takes the lead.

It starts to rain.

The course becomes treacherous.

[music playing]

Alessandra Cappellotto is tiring.

The other riders cut into her lead.

Just past the halfway point in the race,

the main pack hunts down Cappellotto.

France's Jeannie Longo, Australia's Anna Wilson, and

Italy's Imelda Chiappa attack.

They move into the lead.

Canada's Clara Hughes, in fourth place,

tries to catch the front-riding threesome.

CLARA HUGHES: I looked up the road, and I saw an Australian,

and I saw Longo and an Italian.

I knew that was it.

And I knew at that time I had a window of a little bit more

or a little bit less than a kilometer

to get up to that group.

And after that, it was gone.

NARRATOR: Anna Wilson of Australia falls off the lead.

The race is now down to three--

Jeannie Longo, Imelda Chiappa, and Clara Hughes.

It is common practice for the breakaway riders

to share the lead.

By sharing, they conserve energy and hope to increase

their lead over the main pack.

[music playing]

Jeannie Longo is upset that she is doing most of the work

up front.

CLARA HUGHES: Yeah.

She's like, come on, girls.

You have to work.

Ole, ole.

And I said, Jeannie, I'm trying to.

I was giving as much as I could, but I wasn't gonna waste energy

fighting her to pull through.

NARRATOR: There are six miles to go.

Longo now makes a break.

Chiappa and Hughes try to respond.

[music playing]

Meanwhile, the rest of the pack slips more than 30

seconds behind the leaders.

Jeannie Longo's lead increases.

[music playing]

Chiappa and Hughes mount one last charge.

[music playing]

With less than 200 meters to go, Jeannie Longo is all alone.

This time, there is no one in front of her.

[music playing]

Jeannie Longo, first.

Imelda Chiappa, second, 25 seconds behind.

Clara Hughes, third.

At the age of 37, Jeannie Longo gains what

has eluded her for 12 years--

an Olympic gold medal.

CLARA HUGHES: I saw Jeannie after the race,

and I said, congratulations.

And she said her usual, thank you.

And I have to say that I really respect the race

that she rode that day.

And I learned a lot from her.

I looked back, and I saw what it takes

to be the Olympic champion.

INTERPRETER: In spite of all my victories,

my career would have been considered incomplete if I had

not won the gold medal here.

After so many disappointments over the past three Olympics,

to finally be called an Olympic champion, what a lovely moment

this was.

CONNIE CARPENTER-PHINNEY: Jeannie Longo

is the greatest female cyclist in the modern era.

No matter who you throw at her, whatever

youth comes along the way, she's still better than they are.

And she's got all this personality and all this drive.

And somewhere in our society, we suppress that in women.

But that's what makes her so great.

[music playing]

NARRATOR: At 9 o'clock on the evening of July 27, more

than 80,000 spectators gather for one of the games

marquee events--

the men's 100-meter final.

[starting gun]

[cheering]

Donovan Bailey, Canada, first, a time of 9.4 seconds,

a world record.

Frankie Fredericks, Namibia, second.

Ato Boldon, Trinidad and Tobago, third.

This would be Donovan Bailey's first of two gold medals.

Later, he would anchor Canada's victorious four

by 100-meter relay team.

[cheering]

55 miles north of Atlanta, on the waters of Lake Lanier,

the rowing competition was held earlier that day.

Seven finals would be contested, one of those the men's pair

final.

Among the favorites, Steven Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent,

the British crew who will be rowing together

in their second Olympics.

This is the River Thames, which runs

through the village of Henley-on-Thames, 30 miles west

of London.

It is the most famous stretch of water in rowing.

Rowing in England is steeped in more than two centuries

of gentlemanly tradition, considered an activity

of the well-to-do from elite universities

like Cambridge and Oxford.

Steven Redgrave, sitting in front, and Matthew Pinsent

train here as members of the Leander

Club, the most prestigious rowing club in Britain.

While Matthew Pinsent was educated at Oxford,

Steven Redgrave was not.

Redgrave, the son of a builder, quit

school to row full-time, working construction to pay the bills.

CHRISTOPHER DODD: The image of the sport today

is personified by Steven, who came from a state school,

left school at 16 or 17, has no qualifications

for any other profession, and has been

a full-time rower ever since.

NARRATOR: At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics,

Redgrave, on the extreme left, at age 22

is the youngest member of the British four.

ANNOUNCER: They've now got 20 meters to go.

And Britain are going to win the gold.

Britain first, the United States second.

They cross the line now.

And there is gold for Great Britain.

NARRATOR: Four years later, at the Seoul Olympics,

Redgrave wins his second gold medal,

rowing with Andy Holmes in the pair without coxswain.

But for Redgrave and Holmes, the joy

turns to despair the following day in the pair

with coxswain final.

No team has ever won these two events at one Olympics.

Redgrave and Holmes win a medal, but it is not the gold.

They finish third behind Italy and East Germany.

STEVEN REDGRAVE: We expected to win.

We thought we could win.

We thought we were good enough to win.

The whole of our training was geared

up to try and win two events.

And we didn't achieve that.

So if you don't achieve something that you've set out,

it's got to be failure.

There's only one winners medal.

NARRATOR: Following the 1988 Olympics, Andy Holmes retires.

But Steven Redgrave decides to go on.

To the surprise of many, 19-year-old Matthew Pinsent

is chosen to row with Redgrave.

MATTHEW PINSENT: I was certainly on edge about rowing with him.

I was certainly feeling that it was

going to be a difficult unit to put together, I thought.

His aggression and his determination,

when they're turned against someone, can be tough.

But that doesn't happen very often.

And the bottom line was this is one of the best

guys in the world to row with.

NARRATOR: At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the partner is new,

but the result is the same.

Pinsent and Redgrave win the gold medal.

For Redgrave, this is his third gold medal

in three successive Olympics, the first British athlete in 72

years to accomplish this feat.

Matthew Pinsent and Steven Redgrave make their decision--

to defend their title in four years' time

at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

If successful, Redgrave would be only

the fifth athlete to win a gold medal

in four consecutive Olympics.

After Barcelona, they return home to England.

In the years and months leading to Atlanta,

Redgrave and Pinsent encounter almost nonstop media attention.

The pressure to win becomes unbearable.

STEVEN REDGRAVE: Every day of training that we came down

here, we had two or three journalists, daily,

coming down and doing interviews and TV crews coming down

and things like that.

And that pays its toll after awhile

because it's been a sport that hasn't had that media coverage.

And the expectation of everybody expecting you to do well,

the media expecting you to do well,

in some respects, your opposition

expecting you to win, as well, that's quite

tough in some respects.

NARRATOR: It is Friday, July 19, the opening day ceremonies

of the Atlanta Olympic Games.

Almost 200 nations pass in review.

This day brings another honor for 34-year-old Steven

Redgrave.

For the second time, he is selected by his teammates

to carry the British flag.

Six days later, the pairs semifinal.

The favorites-- New Zealand in lane one at the top,

the United States in line two, Italy in lane three,

Great Britain in the white boat in lane four.

Three teams in each semifinal will qualify for the final.

The race is 2,000 meters, a little less than a mile

and a quarter.

With 1,000 meters to go, the British, closest to the camera,

are in second.

They trail the Americans on the extreme left in lane two

by more than two seconds.

The Americans are taking a huge gamble.

Their concern about rowing against Redgrave and Pinsent

has forced them to go all out from the start,

hoping they will not self-destruct later.

STEVEN REDGRAVE: The Americans are mad, absolutely mad.

If you're in a race and you're a length and a half up

on the second crew that happens to be the reigning

Olympic champions, reigning world champions, reigning world

record holders, reigning Olympic record holders,

and you're a length and a half in front,

don't you think, well, are we doing something wrong here?

Are we this much faster than this crew?

Or have we paced it very badly?

NARRATOR: With 500 meters to go, Great Britain

overtakes the United States.

The Americans are struggling.

They now battle to hold on to a qualifying spot.

They approach the finish.

[cheering]

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): At the line,

it's Great Britain first, New Zealand

second, and Italy third.

The United States finishes fourth and just out of the--

NARRATOR: The United States fails

to qualify for the finals.

STEVEN REDGRAVE: They paced it very, very badly.

They were capable of being in that final.

They could have won a medal.

But they blew it away.

NARRATOR: After eight days, British athletes

have failed to win a gold medal in any sport.

It is becoming more evident that Redgrave

and Pinsent might be their country's

lone hope for a gold medal.

STEVEN REDGRAVE: The build-up of the last two weeks,

in some respects, was a very nerve-racking time.

And the closer it gets, the thing you think,

well, we've been telling everybody

we're going to win on this day.

We've got now to try and do it.

ANN REDGRAVE: Steve's a man who on the surface is very cool.

But underneath, he's all bubbling away.

And probably in Atlanta, that's the worst I've ever seen him.

I mean, he actually was in tears three days

into the regatta with the pressure and saying he

had to pull himself together in order to be able to achieve

what he set out to do.

And that's the first time I've ever seen Steve in that state.

NARRATOR: It is Saturday morning, July 27,

the final of the men's pair.

Leading to the final, the team of Redgrave and Pinsent

has won 58 major races.

They have not lost in more than four years.

But on this morning, there are other thoughts

on the minds of the rowers.

STEVEN REDGRAVE: We had to get up very early.

We were getting up at 5 o'clock in the morning.

We woke up, turned the TV on, and it was announced

that this bomb had gone off during the night

and people had lost their lives.

They weren't quite sure of how many.

Hello, everyone.

I'm Andrea Zinga at the CNN Center in Atlanta.

We have had word now of an explosion at the Centennial

Olympic Park, which is--

STEVEN REDGRAVE: And you start thinking,

well, is it worth actually going out and doing this?

And then you think, well, the games

are gonna go on, that even if we don't go out there,

somebody will.

Somebody will win the coxless pairs final.

So why shouldn't it be us?

NARRATOR: This final has added significance.

These will be the first medals awarded

since the bombing at Olympic Park nine hours earlier.

Amongst the thousands of spectators watching,

Steven Redgrave's family and coach.

STEVEN REDGRAVE: I felt very emotional at that point.

And as the noise started quieting down,

I heard my eldest daughter Natalie say, go on, Dad!

And that really did sort of choke me up at the time.

I thought, wow, yea, this is the day.

This is the time it's got to be done.

NARRATOR: There are six lanes.

Lane one is at the top.

The favorites-- France in lane two, Australia in lane three,

and Great Britain in lane four.

The British in the white boat are out fastest of all.

Early in the race, they lead by one second.

STEVEN REDGRAVE: We had a dream start.

And by 250 meters gone, we had clear water.

And the things that go through your mind immediately

is that what are we doing out here?

Why are we length and a half faster than anybody else?

Have we put in a lot of effort to do that?

And if we have, that's gonna pay a toll later in the race.

NARRATOR: As they approach 750 meters,

the British increase their lead to more than two seconds.

By capitalizing on a fast start, they

hope to demoralize the opposition by building

a large lead, then have enough strength

to hold off any challenge.

It is not forgotten that two days

earlier, the Americans, using these tactics,

failed to qualify.

As they near 1,000 meters, the halfway point in the race,

Great Britain, closest to the camera,

still maintains its lead.

France, in lane two, is second; Australia,

in lane three, third; Italy, in lane one, fourth.

Approaching 1,500 meters, the British lead narrows.

The Australians close the gap.

As tactician for the team, Redgrave continually

assesses what they should do.

MATTHEW PINSENT: Because he sits behind me,

he can speak at very low volume so that another crew

can't hear what's going on.

And that's the way we've always operated.

NARRATOR: With less than 400 meters to go,

Britain still leads, but Australia is coming on.

France remains in third.

MATTHEW PINSENT: And it was only really

when the race started closing up on us,

right in the last 200, 250 meters,

that we did anything about it.

And that was pretty tough.

With them coming back, I was pretty keen to finish it off.

STEVEN REDGRAVE: Matthew started getting a little bit excited

and started putting some big strokes in.

And my answer to that was, just wait.

Wait.

Wait for the call.

We always knew that we could row away from them

at any stage we wanted to.

And we just let them come back and come back and come back.

And then we made our move.

NARRATOR: Great Britain, closest to the camera,

still leads as they approach the finish.

Great Britain first, Australia second, France third.

Matthew Pinsent wins his second gold medal,

Steven Redgrave his fourth.

STEVEN REDGRAVE: Thank god it was over.

The stress and strain of the build-up to it,

that finally this race was over, and we had achieved

what we'd set out to achieve.

NARRATOR: Minutes later, Steven Redgrave announces

to the press his retirement.

STEVEN REDGRAVE: There were TV cameras waiting and radio.

And they heard some things that they didn't

want to hear in some respects.

But also, they got a quote that stuck with me.

And the quote goes something like

"if you ever see me anywhere near a boat, shoot me."

NARRATOR: Steven Redgrave receives the gold medal.

The British anthem is played for the first and only time

here in Atlanta, for Steven Redgrave

and Matthew Pinsent are the only British athletes

to be crowned Olympic champions at these games.

Most believe this will be Steven Redgrave's

last awards ceremony.

But three months later, he would decide to go on.

His goal-- to win a fifth gold medal

at the 2000 games in Sydney, Australia at the age of 38.

MATTHEW PINSENT: There is nothing

that Steve can do that will make him

feel like the Olympics does.

And while he has the chance to live the life of the Olympian,

you can't expect him not to.

[cheering]

[music playing]

NARRATOR: On the rainy morning of Saturday, July 27,

the flags fly at half mast at the Olympic Stadium,

and those who brave the foul weather

stand in silent prayer in tribute

to those who were killed and wounded

eight hours earlier when a bomb exploded

at nearby Olympic Park.

Olympic officials quickly made their decision, the same one

that was made 24 years earlier in Munich when

11 Israeli athletes and coaches were

killed by terrorists who had invaded the athletes' village.

The rallying cry by the then IOC president Avery Brundage

was the same as it would be this day.

The games must go.

NARRATOR: The games must go on.

And so the games went on.

The first event to be contested this day at the Olympic stadium

is the heptathlon, the most grueling competition

on the women's program, seven events contested over two days,

one that tests the strength, speed, and, perhaps

most of all, the courage of the athlete,

their ability to endure.

Two women are expected to battle it out for the gold medal.

One is Jackie Joyner-Kersee of the United States, who in three

previous Olympics, under the guidance of her husband

and coach, Bob Kersee, had all but

totally dominated the event.

Since winning the silver medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Games,

she was unbeatable for nearly 12 years,

winning the gold medal at both the 1988

and 1992 Olympic games.

Six times, she surpassed the magical 7,000-point total

during her victory history.

Her world record set at the 1988 Seoul games

stands today as the Atlanta games get underway.

But now, at the age of 34, she is in the twilight

of her career, one that in recent years

has been beset with injuries.

Age and injury notwithstanding, a new star, Ghada Shouaa,

has emerged to challenge her for world supremacy, a superb

athlete who comes from a country that

has never won an Olympic gold medal in any sport.

This is Damascus, Syria, the home

of 24-year-old Ghada Shouaa.

Her hero and inspiration--

Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

The two have much in common.

They are both deeply religious and outstanding

basketball players.

Before turning to track, Shouaa was a member of Syria's

national basketball team.

At the 1992 Barcelona games, though injured,

she finished 24th behind Jackie Joyner-Kersee's

second gold medal victory.

Since then, she rapidly moved to the top,

winning the heptathlon at the 1995 world championships,

when injury prevented Jackie Joyner-Kersee from competing.

Her victory made her a national hero,

and she was given the honor of carrying the Syrian flag

in the opening day parade.

INTERPRETER: Before I even started

competing in the heptathlon, my idol was Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

When I began to improve my scores,

I considered it a great honor to compete against Jackie

in the same event and stadium.

I am proud of her as an athlete, and she

deserves all the recognition and admiration she has received.

NARRATOR: Now, here in Atlanta, they would meet.

Again, Jackie Joyner-Kersee's physical condition

is suspect ever since she finished

second in the heptathlon in the Olympic trials.

JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE: I kept feeling something

was happening in the leg.

Even at the trials, I knew it was something there.

But they really couldn't find what it was.

And we were training.

And I was doing some hurdle drills.

And as I got ready to push into the hurdle,

the muscle just grabbed.

It snapped.

And it actually threw me to the ground.

NARRATOR: There are 29 women entered in the heptathlon.

The first event-- the 100-meter hurdles.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee is in the third heat.

She is a world-class hurdler, and along with the long jump,

this is her best event.

JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE: Bobby was saying,

if you cannot go, let me know.

And all I wanted to do was to be able to get in those blocks

and run as fast as I could because I honestly felt

like the leg was gonna be OK.

BOB KERSEE: And I felt that this was going

to be one of the races that's going to determine

whether or not she is going to have the opportunity of winning

her third gold medal in the heptathlon in the Olympic

Games.

Because I know that Jackie was not 100% healthy.

So when the starter put them on their marks,

I just said a little prayer, asking the Lord to let

her give her best effort.

NARRATOR: Jackie Joyner-Kersee is in lane six.

She already knows that Ghada Shouaa

turned in a comparatively slow time in the second heat.

BOB KERSEE: So when the gun went off, she got out very well.

She accelerated nicely.

But I knew around hurdle number nine and 10 that she aggravated

her hamstring and how serious the leg was and whether or not

she could continue competing in the other six events

that was left.

NARRATOR: She finishes in the second fastest time of the 29

competitors, but more than a half second

slower than her personal best.

The next event, the high jump, is

scheduled to begin in one hour.

She decides to test her leg.

JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE: And so I just one jump.

Then I went over to Bobby.

And I said, well, I was asking him about my approach.

And he was asking me how did my leg feel?

And I said, well, it's there.

BOB KERSEE: And so I sat there as the coach,

just thinking, OK, what adjustments do I need to make

to get her over this bar?

And then all of a sudden, Jackie's

husband showed up and said, hey, listen,

this is not fair to her.

I've sat here all these years watching you push this athlete,

watching this athlete push herself, trying to get

the best performance of your careers.

But you know in your heart that this lady out there is gonna

do everything that she can.

She's gonna pull every muscle in her body to try to win.

And for her to go out there and injure herself

more for a sake of one more meet is

just not fair to this champion.

JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE: And that's what he said to me,

I'm not gonna allow you to do this, Jackie.

I think that--

I'm just not gonna allow you to do that.

And I said, no.

I want to try.

I really wanted to try because I didn't really want to give up.

And it was really tough for me because I knew this would be--

for me, this would be my last Olympics.

And I had come to realize that my shot of trying

to go after another gold medal or to medal at all

had been lost.

It was really great when Shouaa came came over and hugged me.

And I felt really bad for Bobby because I really think

that Bobby blamed himself.

And that wasn't the case because when we win, we win together.

And when we lose, we lose together.

NARRATOR: Jackie and Bob Kersee leave the arena.

If her condition improves, she will compete

in the long jump in five days.

After the 100-meter hurdles, Ghada Shouaa is in 17th place,

73 points behind Mona Steigauf of Germany.

The heptathlon goes on.

[music playing]

Winning an individual event in the heptathlon is misleading.

Like the men's decathlon, consistency

in each of the events is the aim of an athlete.

Many champions have been crowned without ever

winning an individual event.

INTERPRETER: I had no problems, no fear of being in 17th place.

My best events were still to come.

Last year, when I won the world championship,

I did not win a single event.

In fact, I was in 24th place after the hurdles

were completed.

NARRATOR: In the second event, she high jumps 6 feet 1 and 1/4

inches, which ties her with two others for the best jump.

This effort immediately moves her into contention.

She is in second place, trailing Urszula Wlodarczyk of Poland

by 35 points.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): The leader,

Urszula Wlodarczyk of Poland.

NARRATOR: In the third event, the shot put,

Shouaa is by far the best.

Throwing more than 4 feet farther than the others,

she goes into first place.

Wlodarczyk of Poland is behind by 72 points.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Urszula Wlodarczyk's

distance in the shot put--

14 meters 36.

[starting gun]

NARRATOR: The final event of the first day, the 200 meters.

Shouaa wins her heat in the second fastest time of all.

At the end of the first day, Shouaa leads by 112 points.

The first event of the second day, the long jump.

Natasha Sazanovich of Belarus, in third place,

gets off a tremendous leap of 21 feet 11 and 3/4 inches.

The best that Shouaa can do is almost a foot and a half less.

There is a swing of 142 points in favor of the Belarusian.

Sazanovich moves into first place,

six points ahead of Shouaa.

INTERPRETER: I could not explain what happened

to me in the long jump.

Every athlete must expect failure.

I can only say that it was my fate to do poorly

and that with God's help, I could make up for my mistake.

NARRATOR: The sixth and next to last event, the javelin.

Natasha Sazanovich's best throw is 150 feet 11 inches.

Shouaa immediately recovers from her setback in the long jump.

She throws almost 32 feet farther than Sazanovich.

After the javelin, Shouaa has turned the competition into

a rout, a swing of 188 points.

Trailing by six at the end of the long jump,

she now leads Sazanovich by 182.

Moving into third place after the javelin,

Denise Lewis of Great Britain.

INTERPRETER: The final event was the 800 meters.

My lead over Natasha Sazanovich was 182 points.

[starting gun]

This meant that Sazanovich would have to defeat me by 14

seconds, more than 100 meters.

NARRATOR: Shouaa crosses the finish line behind Urszula

Wlodarczyk of Poland.

Sazanovich finishes in sixth place.

The final scores--

Ghada Shouaa, the winner with 6,780 points.

In second place, 217 points behind,

Natasha Sazanovich of Belarus.

In third place, Denise Lewis, Great Britain,

291 points behind Shouaa.

With this victory, history is made.

Ghada Shouaa wins the first gold medal

ever won by a Syrian athlete.

INTERPRETER: It was thrilling for me to take a victory lap

and hear the cheering of the crowd.

Although I had won, the feeling of victory was not complete.

I felt that something was missing.

The victory would not be complete until I climbed

to the top of the podium.

This took place the next day when

I was awarded the gold medal.

I heard the announcer say "Ghada Shouaa of Syria,

the winner of the gold medal."

It was then I felt that the entire Arab world

and the Syrian people were all being congratulated with me.

[cheering]

And the Syrian national anthem was

being played not just for me, but for everybody, all of us.

[music playing]

NARRATOR: At 7:15 in the early evening of Friday,

August 2, the finals for the men's pole vault and women's

shot put are already underway.

As the competitions continued, cheering

that began as a low rumble now reaches a resounding crescendo.

The finalists for the women's long jump move on to the field

where they will be introduced.

The cheers are for Jackie Joyner-Kersee,

who the day before took one attempt

that was good enough to qualify her as one of 12 finalists.

It was six days ago when the pain from her leg injury

forced her to retire from the heptathlon.

Now tonight, still injured, she will have to endure the pain

on each of her six jumps.

JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE: Only thing I

cared about was giving a great performance

and performing to the best of my ability

and not really be concerned about how

much pain I was going to be in.

NARRATOR: In effect, tonight's final is two competitions.

At the end of three rounds, only the top eight

will remain in the battle for the medals.

Jackie's plan for the evening is basic.

She and her husband, Bob Kersee, hope that she will get off

a great jump early and perhaps not

have to take all six attempts.

But it is not to be.

The first round gives strong indication

that the evening would be one of struggle and pain

for Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

24-year-old Chioma Ajunwa of Nigeria gets off a superb

leap in the first round--

23 feet 4 and 1/2 inches.

Just one month earlier, Ajunwa regained her eligibility after

a four-year drug suspension.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee's first effort

is almost 2 feet shorter than Ajunwa

and leaves her in seventh place.

In the second round, Fiona May of Italy,

who won the 1995 world championship,

moves into second place, 4 inches behind Ajunwa.

Joyner improves on her first effort

and moves from seventh to sixth in the standings.

The third round is coming up, the critical round

to determine which four athletes will be eliminated.

JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE: Each jump, it was so painful.

The leg was--

I couldn't believe that I didn't get a good jump off.

I remember looking up at the monitor,

and I'm like, oh, my god.

I might even make the finals.

And I'm like, OK, I got to try to execute another jump.

NARRATOR: In the third round, Jackie Joyner-Kersee

gets off her best leap of the day,

but does not move up in the standings.

She is still in sixth place.

But this effort ensures that she will be one of the eight

remaining in the competition.

Though she got off her best leap,

it is still more than 2 feet below her all-time personal

best.

The competition goes on.

[music playing]

Chioma Ajunwa is still in first place.

After fouling in the fourth round,

Jackie Joyner-Kersee, tired and in great pain,

gets off her worst jump of the day in her fifth attempt.

She remains in sixth place with one round to go.

JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE: I wasn't going to quit.

I was not going to use this leg as an excuse.

I don't care how much pain I was in.

You walk away from here saying you gave your best.

BOB KERSEE: Jackie was struggling.

And when it came down to the sixth and final jump,

I watched the determination on Jackie's face.

I said, she is going to do everything that she can to get

on that podium one more time.

And I said whatever happens I would accept.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Next up on the long jump runway,

Jackie Joyner-Kersee, USA.

NARRATOR: 22 feet 11 and 3/4 inches,

her best leap of the evening.

For the moment, Jackie Joyner-Kersee

has moved into third place.

The next two jumpers fail to replace her.

Only Niki Xanthou of Greece, currently in fourth place,

can challenge her for the bronze medal.

Xanthou's leap-- 22 feet 5 and 3/4

inches, almost 6 inches less than Jackie

Joyner-Kersee's final leap.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee wins the bronze medal.

Niki Xanthou of Greece is the first one to greet her.

Fiona May of Italy finished second.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee now greets the winner,

Chioma Ajunwa of Nigeria.

The award ceremony takes place.

[music playing]

Chioma Ajunwa of Nigeria stands on the top step of the podium.

Alongside her, Fiona May of Italy, the winner

of the silver, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee,

the winner of the bronze.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee ends her Olympic career

with three gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.

JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE: The awards ceremony

was very special because I was able to get on the podium,

say my goodbye.

I savored that moment.

I was just happy.

To take the long jump down to the sixth attempt

and to come away with the bronze medal,

to me, was more gratifying than any gold medal

I have won because that tested my character,

my strength, what I believe athletics is all about.

NARRATOR: And so Jackie Joyner-Kersee says her final

farewell to the Olympic arena, leaving

a legacy for this generation and generations not yet born--

one of courage, one of nobility, symbolizing

the best that is in us.

Perhaps the career of Jackie Joyner-Kersee

can best be described in the words of one columnist.

"I was in Seoul and Barcelona when Jackie Joyner-Kersee

won her three gold medals.

But in decades to come, I will remember

most that I was there in Atlanta when Jackie won the bronze."

[music playing]

It has been more than 2,000 years since a Greek warrior ran

through the plains of Marathon.

Since that time, the marathon has stood as the ultimate test

of one's courage.

[music playing]

In the 100-year history of the Olympic marathon,

a special few have withstood the challenges

of the course and the challenges from within

to cross the finish line first.

One was Ethiopia's Abebe Bikila.

At the 1960 Olympics, Bikila ran barefoot through the streets

of Rome to win the gold medal.

Four years later, at the 1964 Tokyo games,

he raced to victory once more and became the first to win

two marathon gold medals.

Since then, many Africans have followed his path.

In Atlanta, Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia

outran her opponents to win the Olympic gold medal.

She became the first African woman to stand victorious

as marathon champion.

But her victory was a prelude to the drama

yet to take place on the final day

in Atlanta, the closest marathon race in Olympic history.

It is 7:05 AM, Sunday, August 4, the start

of the men's marathon.

Traditionally, the men's marathon

is the last event on the Olympic program,

taking place just before the start

of the closing ceremonies.

But because of the intense heat and humidity of the Atlanta

summer, the start of the marathon

is moved to the early morning.

124 runners circle the track three and a half times

before leaving the stadium, the beginning of

their 26-mile 385 yard journey.

[music playing]

More than any other event, the marathon

is the most difficult to predict, with the terrain,

the weather, and one's own mental as well

as physical preparation determining who will

cross the finish line first.

Through the first few miles, the lead pack winds its way

through downtown Atlanta.

[music playing]

Miles five, six, and seven--

more than 65 men, half the starting field,

are in contention for a medal.

Through miles eight, nine, and 10, a few try to surge ahead.

[music playing]

But they are quickly encircled by the lead group,

still more than 50 strong.

By 13 miles, the halfway point in the race, more than half

the lead back of 50 still believe

they can win the gold medal.

For the others, a different goal--

to finish.

Now, more than 14 miles into the race,

several move for the lead.

Two of those--

Brazilian Luiz dos Santos, in blue,

and Josia Thugwane of South Africa in green,

wearing glasses.

While dos Santos is one of the favorites,

Thugwane is given little chance of winning.

His journey to Atlanta is considered miraculous.

[music playing]

This is the town of Mzinoni, located

120 miles east of Johannesburg.

Mzinoni was one of many segregated areas

in South Africa mandated by racial apartheid.

Apartheid-- the Afrikaner word for separateness--

was the policy of segregation set up

by the white-led government in 1950.

It is among these shacks of cement and corrugated tin

that Josia Thugwane lived with his wife and two daughters

in the years and months leading up to the Atlanta Olympics,

except when he was living at the coal mine 30 miles away.

Josia Thugwane earned less than $350 a month as a mine worker,

one of the few jobs open to black men in South Africa.

His salary helped support an extended family of 10.

And it is here that Josia Thugwane

trained in the years leading to the Atlanta Olympics.

INTERPRETER: Living in these conditions

and trying to support my wife and kids

was hard because I earned very little money at the mine.

The only thing that kept me going

was being able to run, hoping that I could

win races and change my life.

NARRATOR: When South Africa was barred from Olympic competition

for its racial segregation after the 1960 games in Rome,

all of their athletes suffered.

BANELE SINDANI: It was bad for all South African athletes,

I think, not to be part of the international community.

But it couldn't have been worse for the black athletes

because apartheid itself was bad enough.

So I think if you lived under apartheid,

nothing could be worse off than apartheid for you.

NARRATOR: By 1990, political and social change

swept through South Africa.

Nelson Mandela, who had spent 27 years in prison

for his opposition to apartheid, was released.

Formal discussions with the white-led government

signaled the end of apartheid.

Four years later, Mandela was elected president.

And in 1992, South Africa was welcomed

once again into the world athletic community

at the Barcelona Olympics.

Now, at 15 miles here in Atlanta,

Josia Thugwane is joined at the front

by two other South Africans, Gert Thys, number 2123,

considered the South African with the best

chance of winning, and Lawrence Peu, number 2481.

Three South Africans, who just five years

earlier were unable to compete internationally,

are now in the lead.

Well, it was a very proud moment for South Africa

because until then, since South Africa was readmitted

to international sport, we've always

expected a lot of marathon runners,

and they've never really produced anything.

So to see all three of them running

at the front of the field was really something great

for South Africans.

NARRATOR: Josia Thugwane was not among the fastest South African

marathoners leading to Atlanta.

So only a victory at the South African

championships in February would allow him to run here.

He won, but his joy was short-lived.

One month later, a carjacker's bullet pierced his chin,

leaving a 1-inch scar, the only visible reminder today

of a harrowing ordeal which nearly cost him his life

and causes nightmares to this day.

INTERPRETER: I picked up some hitchhikers, one who I knew.

One of them pulled a gun and told me they were taking

my car, to hand over my keys.

I tried to scare them by turning the steering wheel hard,

but that's when I heard the gunshot.

I felt no pain, but I saw blood everywhere.

I then decided to jump.

NARRATOR: Thugwane survived his leap from the pickup truck,

but suffered a back injury as well as a shattered spirit.

With the Olympics less than five months away,

many questioned whether he would be able to compete.

INTERPRETER: I was hurt so badly.

I lost all hope.

I did not think I would be in the Olympics.

I did not even think I would recover.

Usually when you get hijacked, the carjackers

don't leave you alive.

I am thankful he was not a good shot.

NARRATOR: Past 16 miles, Lee Bong-Ju of South Korea,

number 1832 in the white shirt, joins the front-running South

Africans.

It has been said of the Korean marathoners when they are given

the honor of competing for their country,

they are expected to win.

Lee's presence at the front brings back

memories of other great Koreans who

have competed with distinction in the marathon.

At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Sohn Kee-chung,

a Korean whose country was occupied by the Japanese,

won the gold medal for Japan.

And 56 years later on the same date,

Korea's Hwang Young-cho defeated Japan's Koichi Morishita

at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, collapsing

just after the finish.

Here in Atlanta, the lead pack of 25 closes the gap.

Included are most of the pre-race favorites--

Antonio Pinto of Portugal, third from the front

in green and red; and Spain's Martin Fiz, on the

left just behind Lee Bong-Ju.

One relative surprise is Erick Wainaina

of Kenya, number 1819 on the extreme right wearing red.

Wainaina, who trains in Japan, is running

in only his fifth marathon.

[music playing]

At 19 miles, Josia Thugwane moves ahead.

Lee Bong-Ju is the only one to respond.

[music playing]

Erick Wainaina, in third place, tries to answer his challenge.

But Josia Thugwane lengthens his lead.

Wainaina catches, then passes the Korean.

He then closes in on Thugwane.

[music playing]

With 5 miles to go, Wainaina overtakes Thugwane.

[music playing]

But Thugwane remains just a step behind the Kenyan.

INTERPRETER: I was not worried about the Kenyan that much.

I saw how hard he had to work to remain at the front.

Lee Bong-Ju was the one I feared.

I had lost to him in a marathon a few years ago

and saw how strong and determined he is.

NARRATOR: Lee Bong-Ju regains contact

with Thugwane and Wainaina.

The lead changes again.

[music playing]

Thugwane tries to break away, only to be caught.

[music playing]

They move through downtown Atlanta for the last time.

Three men-- one Korean, one South African, one Kenyan--

all have less than 3 miles to run,

all that is left of their 26-mile journey, all that

remains before determining who will

be Olympic marathon champion.

[music playing]

At the water station just outside Olympic Stadium,

with less than 1 mile to run, Josia Thugwane

moves into the lead.

[music playing]

Erick Wainana passes Lee Bong-Ju only to be

overtaken by Lee in the tunnel.

[music playing]

Josia Thugwane enters Olympic Stadium.

There are less than 500 meters to go.

INTERPRETER: I was so happy when I heard

the cheering in the stadium.

But I knew they were very close behind me.

NARRATOR: Lee Bong-Ju and Erick Wainaina

are less than 10 seconds behind Thugwane.

It is the closest marathon finish in Olympic history.

INTERPRETER: I looked back to see what was happening.

When I saw the gap I had, I knew that Lee

Bong-Ju could never catch me.

[music playing]

NARRATOR: Josia Thugwane, South Africa, first.

Lee Bong-Ju, South Korea, second, three seconds behind.

Erick Wainaina, Kenya, third, eight seconds behind Thugwane.

12 hours later, at 9:00 PM, during the closing ceremony

for the centennial games of Atlanta,

the marathon award presentation begins.

Josia Thugwane receives the gold medal

as thousands of spectators and millions of television viewers

look on.

It is a fitting tribute to the first black

South African to stand on the podium as Olympic champion,

a fitting tribute to a man and a nation who have overcome

so much in sports and in life.

INTERPRETER: I am happy for what I accomplished

here because I succeeded after losing

all hope just months before.

I won this gold medal for the people of South Africa.

I also won this gold medal for President Nelson Mandela.

His efforts to end apartheid have made us free, free to run,

free to be part of the international community.

Without him, I would not be standing

here today as Olympic champion.

[cheering]

NARRATOR: Three days later, Josia Thugwane returned home

to South Africa, to this land blessed with natural wealth,

the land where he worked, where he ran,

where he raised his children.

It was left for one South African

to write, "for a nation that has been through such turmoil,

one gold medal does not make decades of apartheid melt away,

does not put a clamp on racism.

But the victory of Josia Thugwane

does give all South Africans a common cause.

It does give South Africans of every color hope.

We can now have heroes who don't have to be black or white.

We can now have heroes who are just South African."

[music playing]

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Ladies and gentlemen,

introducing the athletes who will be competing--

NARRATOR: In the late afternoon of Monday, July 22,

more than 5,000 spectators fill the weightlifting hall

at the Georgia World Congress Center to witness a classic

confrontation between two of the strongest men in the world,

the meeting between Naim S leymanoglu of Turkey

and Valerios Leonidis of Greece in the 64-kilogram

featherweight division.

The hall is evenly divided with partisan spectators, hundreds

of Turks on one side, equally as many Greeks on the other side.

In weightlifting, the competition is

divided into two disciplines--

the snatch, in which the bar is lifted overhead

in one motion, and the clean and jerk,

where the bar is lifted to the chest, then overhead.

Each lifter has three attempts in each discipline,

increasing the weight with each successful lift.

The highest total score of both disciplines

is the winner of the gold medal.

If there is a tie, the winner is the man

with the lowest body weight.

The Turkish spectators anticipate

a history-making performance by Naim S leymanoglu.

Since 1983, he is undefeated in world and Olympic competition.

S leymanoglu is the winner of gold

medals at both the 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

If he wins here, he will become the only lifter in history

to win three successive Olympic gold medals.

Blocking his path is Valerios Leonidis of Greece,

who finished fifth behind S leymanoglu

four years ago in Barcelona.

But at the 1995 world championships,

Leonidis tied S leymanoglu in total poundage,

only to lose because he weighed slightly more.

Now here in Atlanta, Leonidis has the advantage

if there is a tie.

He weighed in at 139 pounds, more than

a pound less than S leymanoglu.

There is additional drama this night--

the political aspects of the contest.

There is a history of strife between Turkey and Greece

leading to the latest crisis six months earlier,

when Turkey laid claim to an uninhabited island

in the Aegean Sea, an island that Athens

claimed belonged to Greece.

INTERPRETER: In my relationship with Naim,

it is not a contest of countries.

It is a contest of pride and sportsmanship.

I believe the people of Greece honestly love Naim.

He's a man of phenomenal talent.

For me, just to be at the point in which I'm

able to compete against him with a chance to win

is an achievement.

This is what the competition is about, pride and sportsmanship.

INTERPRETER: For many years in my career, especially

the last eight years, I didn't have

rivals or real competition.

Not until Leonidis came along did

I have any difficult contests.

Once we tied in a competition, but I was victorious because I

weighed less than him.

After the event, we would sit down and talk.

He is very down to earth and has the true qualities

of a magnificent sportsman.

NARRATOR: S leymanoglu's rise to legendary fame is a combination

of superhuman strength and political intrigue,

of cloak-and-dagger scenario that has

no equal in Olympic history.

He was born in a Bulgarian mountain village inhabited

mostly by ethnic Turks, and at the age

of 15 set his first world record competing for Bulgaria.

The following year, he received worldwide acclaim

when, weighing 123 and 1/2 pounds,

he lifted more than three times his body weight.

S leymanoglu was expected to win a gold medal

at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

But the Soviet-led boycott prevented him from competing.

He continued training as a member of the national team,

but soon Bulgaria changed its policy toward ethnic Turks.

His people, oppressed and persecuted,

were forced to change their Turkish names to Bulgarian.

In 1986, while competing in Australia,

he escaped from the Bulgarian team

and applied for Turkish citizenship.

This serious diplomatic problem was finally

resolved when Turkey paid Bulgaria $1 million

for his release.

Now he would compete as a Turkish citizen.

After winning his first gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Games,

S leymanoglu returned to Ankara.

A national holiday was declared, and thousands lined the parade

route in what was called the largest

celebration in Turkish history.

Four years later, in Barcelona, he again stood on the top step

of the award podium.

Now, here in Atlanta, he faces the greatest

challenge of his career.

For the first time, S leymanoglu is not separate and apart

from the other lifters.

Though he still holds the world record for total weight,

he has lost the individual world records he used to hold.

Wang Guohua of China holds the snatch world record,

and Valerios Leonidis is the world record

holder in the clean and jerk.

36 men are entered in the competition.

But the majority will have completed their three lifts

in the snatch before S leymanoglu,

Leonidis, and Wang step onto the platform for the first time.

[music playing]

Finally, Leonidis makes his first lift, when

the weight reaches 140 kilos--

308 pounds.

[music playing]

[cheering]

Leonidis is greeted by his coach, Christos Iakovou.

Now, the psychological games begin.

S leymanoglu asks for 2 and 1/2 kilos more than Leonidis.

Then he and his coaches decide to raise the weight

to 145 kilos, the equivalent of 11 pounds more

than his Greek adversary.

[cheering]

After one lift, S leymanoglu leads Leonidis by 5 kilos.

His brother Muharrem, who trains him,

watches from the side of the stage.

[cheering]

Wang, the world record holder in the snatch, tries 145 kilos.

He fails.

Leonidis now attempts the same weight, 145 kilos.

[cheering]

He and S leymanoglu are now tied, but Naim has two attempts

remaining and Leonidis one.

Wang misses his second and third attempts

and is out of the competition.

Leonidis and S leymanoglu are the only

ones left in the snatch.

On his second attempt, S leymanoglu raises the stakes

another 2 and 1/2 kilos to 147 and 1/2, 5 and 1/2 pounds

more than his last attempt.

They remain tied.

Each has one lift remaining.

Leonidis's last attempt will be 147 and 1/2 kilos.

If he is successful, he will take the lead.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): No lift.

[inaudible] Leonidis, Greece.

Third attempt, [inaudible] Naim S leymanoglu.

If S leymanoglu succeeds, he will be in the lead.

Leonidis is in first place with his lighter body weight.

NARRATOR: Now, S leymanoglu's third and final attempt

at the 147 and 1/2 kilos.

[cheering]

With the snatch completed and the event half over,

S leymanoglu will take his 2 and 1/2 kilo lead into the clean

and jerk competition.

Leonidis is in a three-way tie for second place

with his teammate Georgios Tzelilis

and Xiao Jiangang of China.

But the weightlifting world knows

that the battle for the gold medal will be between two--

Naim S leymanoglu of Turkey and Valerios Leonidis of Greece.

As S leymanoglu and Leonidis wait backstage for the start

of their confrontation in the clean and jerk,

another battle is taking place, one of strategy.

What will be their starting weight?

What will their opponent choose?

If they start too high, they risk an early miss.

Starting too low could result in a wasted attempt.

With only 2 and 1/2 kilos separating them and just three

attempts remaining, one mistake can cost either of them

the gold medal.

The final confrontation is just a few minutes away.

On stage, Xiao Jiangang of China lifts

177 and 1/2 kilos, good enough for the bronze medal.

Backstage, Leonidis's coach, Christos Iakovou

is nervous but confident.

INTERPRETER: We knew how difficult

it would be to defeat him.

From time to time, I would tell him, you can do it.

You can beat Naim.

I am no different with him than any of my athletes.

That is my job, to encourage them.

And I really impressed on him his technique.

Always be careful of your technique, and beat Naim.

NARRATOR: Finally, the decision is made.

S leymanoglu will start the clean and jerk at 180 kilos,

396 and 3/4 pounds, only 3 kilos below Leonidis's world record.

[cheering]

Leonidis declares the same weight.

[non-english speech]

[cheering]

NARRATOR: S leymanoglu still leads by 2 and 1/2 kilos.

Now the most critical part of the competition.

Each has two attempts left.

S leymanoglu decides he wants to break

open the competition and place the pressure on Leonidis.

He asks for 185 kilos, 2 kilos greater

than Leonidis's world record.

[cheering]

S leymanoglu fleshes the number-one sign.

With this one effort, he has created two world

records, one in the clean and jerk and one

for combined total weight.

He now leads Leonidis by 7 and 1/2 kilos.

INTERPRETER: I was not happy, but I did not show it.

We decided that we must try a superhuman effort.

I told him we must try 187 and 1/2 kilos,

2 and 1/2 kilos more than what Naim just accomplished

and also a world record.

[non-english speech]

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): A new world and Olympic record

for Valerios Leonidis, Greece.

NARRATOR: They are now tied in total poundage.

But Leonidis leads because of his lower body weight.

INTERPRETER: I knew the competition does

not end until Naim finishes.

If it was anyone else, I would have been more secure,

but not with Naim.

I knew that in the past, he has always found a way to win.

NARRATOR: Three world records have been created

in little more than a minute.

Now, the final lift for S leymanoglu and Leonidis.

INTERPRETER: I must confess, after the last lift

of 185 kilos, I thought I had won the competition.

Then Leonidis lifted what I thought he could not do.

But he did it.

In weightlifting, you must do what it takes to win,

and he did it.

Now, on my last lift, I must do what is necessary to win.

NARRATOR: Naim will attempt 187 and 1/2 kilos, the weight

that Leonidis lifted.

If he succeeds, he will again go into the lead

by 2 and 1/2 kilos.

[cheering]

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Another world

record for Naim S leymanoglu.

S leymanoglu is in the lead with one lift remaining.

NARRATOR: Another world record in total weight,

the fourth world record.

His brother Muharrem already has claimed victory.

But Naim S leymanoglu is not certain.

Once before in this competition, he thought

he had clinched the title.

INTERPRETER: I originally thought

I might watch his final lift.

But my people told me not to.

So I went backstage to await the outcome.

Even though you don't watch, you know what's happening.

Earlier, whenever Leonidis was successful,

I could hear the screaming of the Greeks in the audience.

Whether I watched or not, I would know who won.

INTERPRETER: Deep inside me, I believed

I still had a chance to win.

I would have to lift 190 kilos, 7

kilos higher than my world record

before the competition began.

But I thought I had a chance.

That is why this was such a beautiful competition.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Third attempt [inaudible]

for Valerios Leonidis.

NARRATOR: Leonidis takes the long walk to the platform.

If he makes it, he will again tie S leymanoglu for total

weight, but the gold medal will be his because he weighs less.

Backstage, S leymanoglu realizes that for the first time,

he will not be in control of the outcome.

[non-english speech]

[cheering]

[banging]

[cheering]

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): No lift.

Naim S leymanoglu of Turkey is the winner

of the gold medal with a new world and Olympic record.

Valerios Leonidis of Greece will take the silver medal,

and Xiao Jiangang of China the bronze.

[cheering]

Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes

the weightlifting competition.

In just a few minutes, we will have

the victory ceremony for the medalists in this event.

NARRATOR: Naim S leymanoglu becomes the first weightlifter

to win three gold medals.

But for Valerios Leonidis, there is also glory.

For in a contest where world records were broken four times

in less than five minutes, in a contest that many consider

the greatest in Olympic history, there

is as much honor in defeat as there is in victory.

INTERPRETER: There will be many nights in the future

when I will dream of this competition.

I came to win the gold medal, not the silver.

But I'm a person who acknowledges

and admires superb performances, and that is what Naim did.

That is why he's so great.

You push yourself hard, and he pushes himself harder.

And that is why when we met before the awards, I said,

Naim, you are the best.

And he said, no, Valerios, we are both the best.

NARRATOR: This is Dr. Lennox Miller and Don Quarrie,

lifelong friends and two of Jamaica's

great Olympic legends, both among the finest

sprinters in the world when they were competing.

At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics,

Lennox Miller finished second behind Jim Hines

of the United States in what was then

the fastest 100-meter final.

Four years later, at the 1972 Munich games,

he won the bronze medal in the 100 meters.

Valeriy Borzov of the Soviet Union was the winner.

Lennox Miller was the first man to congratulate him.

Today, Miller, a naturalized American citizen,

is a dentist in Pasadena, California.

Don Quarrie reached the heights at the 1976 Montreal games

when he won the 200 meters two days

after winning the silver medal in the 100 meters.

Today, he is a respected track and field official and coach.

As the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games approached,

and many years after they ran their last races,

Lennox Miller and Don Quarrie were again back

in the Olympic arena.

This is 24-year-old Inger Miller,

Lennox Miller's daughter.

At the United States Olympic trials,

she qualified in the 200 meters and was expected to be named

to the four by 100 relay team.

Many believe it is remarkable she made the team, for she's

been beset with injuries, one of which

required permanent screws implanted in her left foot.

A month before the Atlanta games,

she survived a frightening automobile

accident that left her unconscious,

but miraculously injury-free.

Perhaps the most unique part of Inger Miller's journey

to Atlanta are her coaches, the two men

who most influenced her career.

INGER MILLER: The only ones are my father,

Lennox Miller, and Donald Quarrie, who is my godfather.

They're the ones that I thought, that's the way I want to be.

I mean, that's my support group.

They understand.

But they're really tough on me, too.

So they're not very sympathetic The thing is,

my dad's nervous, too, for me.

I mean, I think he's a lot more nervous for me

than he was for himself when he was running.

Sometimes, I don't want to see him being nervous because that

makes nervous.

But with Donald, Donald's relaxed.

And he and my father, they're kind of like opposites.

Donald talks a lot.

My dad doesn't.

And both of them have taught me a lot about hard work.

He's been there through the ups and downs, too.

Without him, it wouldn't work.

It would be like a missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle.

NARRATOR: In the days preceding the 200 meters,

Inger Miller's daily routine is the same.

She would have breakfast in the Olympic Village,

take the bus to the training track four miles away,

then meet with her father and Don Quarrie,

where the three would go through her daily regimen

of practice and strategy.

Never spoken, Inger Miller's dream--

to win a gold medal, the only medal

her father Lennox never won.

LENNOX MILLER: I think she was very fortunate because she

had people who had been there.

And the interchange between Donald and myself

was very good.

I mean, we never argued over anything.

We certainly didn't agree on everything.

But we were able to compromise and say, OK, let's

do this and see if it works.

If it doesn't, then we go to plan B.

All right.

Just cover the curve well, and then you see where you are.

Keep track.

So she had a team that was totally on her side,

wasn't doing it for the money, wasn't

doing it for the recognition.

But just we were there just to help her.

And I think she felt that.

DON QUARRIE: It's unique, but we're

happy that that's the situation because what we are

able to pass on to Inger is that competitive drive,

the inside part of track and field

that is not seen by the average person--

the concentration, the determination,

how do you prepare to deal with your competitors

at different levels?

Because when you are competing in the Olympics,

it's like a big race each time.

You are not effective unless you make the finals.

NARRATOR: The preliminary and quarterfinal rounds for the 200

meters are scheduled for July 31,

with the semifinal and final to take place the following day.

Inger Miller, third from the left,

methodically passes her first test, finishing in the top four

in each of her qualifying heats.

In both races, the winner is Marie-Jos P rec of France,

who is the near-unanimous favorite to win the gold medal.

After each race, she would return to the practice track

for massages, ice baths, and then, again,

the endless wind sprints.

Then she would relax and watch the events

at the nearby Olympic Stadium.

Tonight, it's Deon Hemmings of Jamaica winning

the women's 400-meter hurdles.

[cheering]

MAN (ON TELEVISION): Miss Hemmings

of Jamaica the winner, the time 52.82, a new Olympic record.

[starting gun]

NARRATOR: The next day, the semifinals.

Inger Miller, in lane seven on the extreme left,

qualifies for the final by finishing fourth.

Again, the winner is Mary-Jos P rec of France.

Breaking her routine, she remains at the stadium

with the other finalists and makes

her final preparations on the warm-up track

inside the Olympic Stadium.

LENNOX MILLER: You could feel the tension

in the warm-up area.

And that's what we do back there.

The warm-up is the same, just as if it was a small

meet anywhere else.

You're gonna do all of the same thing, just that mentality,

you have to keep yourself together

so that you don't tie up.

That was my role over there, is to try to de-emphasize it

a little bit and to have her relax

and realize that Mom's still gonna love

her no matter what she does.

Dad's still gonna love her.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Final 200 meters, women.

NARRATOR: Eight women prepare for the start

of the 200-meter final.

The favorites in the race--

Marie-Jos P rec of France and Merlene Ottey of Jamaica.

Both have won all three of their preliminary races.

Another finalist-- Inger Miller of the United States.

Sitting in the stands between her husband

and Don Quarrie, Avril Miller, Inger's mother.

Avril Miller rarely misses any of her daughter's races.

She has lived through the many years

of injury and frustration.

To Avril Miller, her daughter has gained a victory even

before the race has been run.

AVRIL MILLER: I was just very proud of her-- very,

very proud.

I said, you know, she's done well.

And I said to my husband, God, can you believe that she

is actually in the finals?

INGER MILLER: I remember standing there thinking,

OK, relax.

This is what you came here for.

You're in the finals.

And this is the 200 meters.

And your hands are shaking.

And you're like, OK, let's do it.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Set.

[starting gun]

NARRATOR: Inger Miller, again in lane seven, gets a good start.

Come on, Inger!

Come on!

NARRATOR: Inger Miller is second from the left.

Ottey, in the middle, is in the lead.

But P rec of France, in lane three, is coming on.

[cheering]

From the stands, Inger Miller's team

is not sure where she finished.

The only certainty is that Marie-Jos P rec

of France is the winner and Merlene

Ottey of Jamaica is second.

Third place is still in doubt as the Miller

team waits for the replay on the scoreboard.

MAN: Did she get it?

I don't know.

We don't know.

NARRATOR: Inger Miller, too, is uncertain

whether she won the bronze, as is Mary Onyali of Nigeria.

Just a few inches separates them at the finish line.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): We are awaiting

the official results of the final, women's 200 meters.

And now on the scoreboard, the official results

of the women's 200-meter final.

NARRATOR: Onyali now knows she finished third,

defeating Inger Miller by three hundredths of a second

for the bronze medal.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): --of Nigeria.

In fourth place, Inger Miller of the USA.

Oh, we lost.

I know. Any closer.

Look at that.

Look at that.

Look at that.

At the finish, here's Onyali leaning and falling over.

I'm thinking to myself, oh, my goodness me.

If she had a little more breast, she would make it.

And I started to say to my husband,

oh, anyway, she's fourth and fourth

is very good because, I mean, I wish she'd gotten the medal.

But I think for Inger and where she was coming from five--

four, five years ago, she did very well.

NARRATOR: For Marie-Jos P rec of France, a familiar scene--

her third Olympic victory lap.

Four years ago in Barcelona, she won the 400 meters.

And now here in Atlanta, she has won the 200 meters

to go with the 400-meter title she defended successfully

three days earlier.

Afterward, Inger Miller met with her parents, who said to her,

you were magnificent.

Just remember you were the fourth best in the world.

I know. I know.

OK now, just relax. Relax.

- It's about time. - I know.

You'll be all right.

[inaudible]

- You all right? - Yeah.

It's about time.

I know.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Our first running event of the evening--

NARRATOR: Two days later, the final of the four by 100 relay.

The United States has qualified in the fastest time.

Chryste Gaines will run the first leg for the United

States, Gail Devers, the 100-meter champion, the second,

Inger Miller the third leg around the turn,

and Gwen Torrence the anchor leg.

Their main opposition is expected

to come from the Bahamas in lane two and Jamaica in lane six.

The United States team is in lane five

wearing the white and blue shirts.

[starting gun]

Chryste Gaines passes off to Gail Devers.

The Americans are slightly behind the Bahamians.

Come on, Gail!

Go, Gail!

NARRATOR: They're almost tied as Devers

passes off to Inger Miller.

AVRIL MILLER: Come on, Inger!

Get it and go!

Go, Inger!

Go!

NARRATOR: Miller runs a superb race around the curve

and gives a slight lead to Gwen Torrence.

AVRIL MILLER: OK, come on, Gwen!

Come on!

Come on, Gwen!

Come on!

Yes!

LENNOX MILLER: Yeah!

United States first, Bahamas second, Jamaica third.

Lennox Miller remains fearful until the race

is declared official.

I'm looking for the flags.

I don't want to see any red flags.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): The official result in women's four

by 100--

INGER MILLER: I remember hearing my mom's voice.

I heard her say, come on.

Move it, Inger. Move it.

And Mom always says move it, Inger.

Move it.

And it was in my mind.

Move it, move it.

And so the last 50, I was moving it.

AVRIL MILLER: Come on, Inger!

Come on!

Get in there!

Get in there!

Get in there, Inger!

[cheering]

Inger!

INGER MILLER: We had the best time.

It was a lot of fun.

I was more excited about it than anything else.

I mean, I was like, wow, I can't believe this.

And I still-- it took a while before we realized that, wow,

we won the gold medal.

And I was a part of that.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Olympic champions and gold medalists

representing the USA, Chryste Gaines, Gail Devers, Inger

Miller, and Gwen Torrence.

[cheering]

They came through.

MAN (ON LOUDSPEAKER): Please rise for the national anthem

of the United States of America.

[MUSIC - "THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER"]

(SINGING) The rockets' red glare.

The bombs bursting in air--

NARRATOR: For Lennox Miller, these moments

are doubly significant.

The year before the games, he was sworn

in as a United States citizen.

And now here at the Olympic Stadium,

he has seen his daughter complete the circle--

winning the gold to go with the silver and bronze

he won those many years ago.

[MUSIC - "THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER"]

[cheering]

[music playing]

And so it was done.

The 17 days of the Atlanta Centennial Games

were drawing to a close.

Representing the 10,000 athletes,

flag bearers from 197 nations.

[music playing]

But with this ending, there is a new beginning.

By tradition, the Olympic flag is

passed to the mayor of Sydney, Australia, the host

city in the year 2000, beckoning the youth of the world to meet

again in four years' time.

[music playing]

And for Atlanta and its people, this heart

of America's Southland did honor to this celebration

that the ancient Greeks called the truce of gods.

[music playing]

And for millions throughout the world,

there are memories that will remain

throughout their lifetime.

[music playing]

There is much glory to those who made it to the award podium.

[music playing]

There is much glory to those who made the attempt.

[music playing]

But win or lose, they have experienced

the joy of the competition rather than

a lifetime not knowing either victory or defeat.

[music playing]

And because of them, all of us are the better for it.

[music playing]

And now, the moment many hoped would never come.

[music playing]

[cheering]

[music playing]

MAN: I call upon the youth of the world

to assemble four years from now at Sydney, Australia

to celebrate with us the games of the 27th Olympiad.