For beating Allyson Felix, Shaunae Miller gets a gold medal. Maybe they should give her a cape, too.
It took a head-first dive, Superwoman-style, for Miller to spring an Olympic upset on Monday over the US’ top female sprinter in the 400m and deny her a record fifth gold medal.
Miller, a 22-year-old from the Bahamas, took an early lead, then held off Felix’s charge along the straightaway. Neck-and-neck with two steps to go, Miller sprawled and tumbled across the line to win by 0.07 seconds.
Photo: EPA
Instead of a coronation for Felix, it was a celebration for Miller, who finished second to the American at last year’s world championships. Her dive will go down as one of the most dramatic images seen at these, or any, Olympics.
Not that she planned it that way.
“I don’t know what happened. My mind just went blank,” Miller said. “The only thing I was thinking [about] was the gold medal, and the next thing I know, I was on the ground.”
And yet, she did not even get the evening’s biggest roars. Those were reserved for pole vaulter Thiago Braz da Silva, who gave Brazil its first medal in track and field by setting an Olympic record (6.03m) to upset world record holder and defending champion Renaud Lavillenie of France.
“I thought I was in a movie... My first urge was to go run and hug Thiago so much, but I knew that it was his moment and he needed to be on camera and experience it for himself,” US bronze medalist Sam Kendricks said.
Lavilleine put the bar at 6.08m for his last attempt, and as he was getting ready to jump, the crowd booed. He responded with a thumbs-down sign. After the loss, he complained about the spectators taking sides.
In the 800m, David Rudisha of Kenya won a second straight gold medal, and Clayton Murphy picked up bronze to give the US its first medal in that event since 1992.
However, “The Dive” is what everyone will be talking about.
As Miller, who formerly competed for the University of Georgia, lay on her back, gasping for breath and maybe even stunned at what she had done, Felix sat on the ground stone-faced. Ten seconds passed. Then 20.
The winner’s first clue came from the stands, not the scoreboard, which showed Miller winning in 49.44 seconds, ahead of Felix and bronze medalist Shericka Jackson of Jamaica.
A familiar voice cut through the air.
“I heard my mom screaming,” Miller said. “When I heard her screaming, I was like, ‘OK, I had to have won the race.’”
Starting from Lane 7, Miller expanded the lag, instead of getting gobbled up the way most women do when Felix is on the track.
Stride for stride they ran down the last 100m, until the last few steps. Felix, classically trained by Bobby Kersee, made a textbook lean into the finish line. Miller tried something else. Something no coach would ever teach.
“She gave everything she had and her legs gave out at the line,” said Miller’s coach, Lance Brauman, who also works with 100m silver medalist Tori Bowie of the US. “Was not intentional.”
TAIWANESE ATHLETES
By Jason Pan
Staff reporter
The Taiwanese women’s archery team yesterday returned home to a warm airport reception, with the trio of Tan Ya-ting, Lei Chien-ying and Lin Shih-chia smiling as they brandished their bronze medals from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Their coach, Ni Ta-chih, said that their taking third place would significantly encourage the development of archery in Taiwan, adding that it was a glorious achievement for the nation.
In Rio, other Taiwanese athletes encountered stiff resistance at top-level competitions.
Female cyclist Hsiao Mei-yu on Monday finished 18th in the women’s omnium individual pursuit, and later that day was 13th in the elimination race.
In athletics, Taiwan’s top man in hurdles, Chen Chieh, failed to meet his expectations and was eliminated in the qualifying heats.
Chen ran the 400m hurdles in 50.65 seconds, finishing seventh in his heat of eight competitors.
He said it was a disappointing result, as he had managed a time of 50.27 seconds in the same event at the 2012 London Olympics and had hoped for a faster time in Rio.
Chen achieved a personal best of 49.05 seconds at Taiwan’s national games last year, and his coaches had expected him to reach that level in Rio.
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