I used to be so centered on what I used to be doing and what I wished to do, it didn’t actually come into my thoughts that individuals from the Japanese Bloc weren’t going to be in Los Angeles because of the boycotts. Clearly, we had been upset that not all the very best folks had been going to be there, nevertheless it didn’t cease our preparation. The intention was to compete on the Olympic Video games and get a medal, no matter who was there.
The earlier Video games in Moscow was very subdued. We may exit, however we needed to be supervised and really cautious if we went out with none folks with us. However LA was simply free. You would do what you wished. It was completely wonderful and it was very glamorous.
We went to homes in Hollywood for dinner and cocktails and issues like that and we had been simply excited concerning the Video games being in LA as a result of it’s continuously in sunshine. It’s simply stunning over there and we had been welcomed with open arms. It was simply beautiful.
We had been within the solar all day, each day. We did our coaching classes after which, within the evenings, we had so many issues on. There was a sort of intranet that was out there in LA, which was the most recent factor then. You would contact anyone on campus, nearly like emails.
I moved home this yr and located one of many messages within the attic that stated I couldn’t meet up as a result of I used to be assembly the Prime Minister of Australia for dinner. I’ve no recollection of that in any respect, however we did so many issues. I bear in mind going to Disney World sooner or later and I met Lionel Richie (I used to be such a fan of his) however I don’t bear in mind quite a lot of the social facet of it. I bear in mind the competitors.
Shirley Sturdy, Benita Fitzgerald-Brown, Kim Turner (Mark Shearman)
When you’ve got the primary stroll out into the stadium, it simply takes your breath away. However it’s a must to simply lean on all of your coaching and also you grow to be so centered. As quickly as you’re preparing, attempting the blocks and simply attempting out the primary few hurdles, you don’t actually discover the massive crowds or the environment throughout the race. That got here afterwards once I went to go and watch different folks compete. Once you’re truly competing, it’s as for those who block it out.
There was quite a lot of strain on me to win it. I nonetheless consider to at the present time that if my coach, Jim Harris, had been there after I had a nasty semi-final, I might have carried out higher within the last.
We’d labored on the primary hurdle. On the World Championships in Helsinki the yr earlier than, one other coach tried to attempt to get me to alter my steps to the primary hurdle and that actually threw me out for some time. Jim went completely ballistic – he was livid {that a} nationwide coach may attempt to try this with me in such an necessary yr. However we received it sorted in the long run. Jim was a superb coach. He knew easy methods to deal with me and what to say to me and I needed he’d been on the Video games.
As of late, athletes all have their very own coaches with them however again then solely the workforce coaches received accreditation, no person else may. Jim may nonetheless have been in LA, however wouldn’t have been within the village with me, or there in between the semi and the ultimate.
I hit a hurdle within the semi-final. It utterly knocked me and I certified second. Within the last, they stated I used to be within the lead till the previous few hurdles. It was so minute that it was troublesome to see mid-race. Myself and Benita Fitzgerald-Brown [of the USA] had been elevating our lead legs on the similar time however she did come off the final hurdle faster and that’s what did it.
I hadn’t truly anticipated her to problem as a result of she had finished nothing earlier than and did nothing after, so it was a bit out of the blue. I used to be anticipating Michèle Chardonnet, the French woman, to be my important competitor. Possibly Kim Turner, the opposite American, however actually not Benita. It was an actual shock that she got here by that day.
READ MORE: My biggest race archives
I knew immediately she’d gained, although we had been 5 lanes aside. I simply felt disappointment at coming second. I had a couple of tears straight after the race. On the podium, apparently I used to be booed, solely as a result of I used to be British and it got here after the Mary Decker Slaney/Zola Budd fiasco and the group had been booing all of the Brits. However I didn’t actually discover. I used to be simply so upset that I wasn’t one step increased, I didn’t actually take the group in that a lot.
I’ve by no means celebrated since and I can’t watch the race anymore. I’ve most likely solely watched it twice. I’ve by no means been happy with it. And folks say you ought to be happy with the silver medal. However I by no means can be as a result of I wished the gold. That’s simply the way in which it’s. I’m nonetheless not pleased with the silver.
As informed to Mark Woods
» This text first appeared within the July problem of AW journal. Subscribe right here
