Island country’s Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser both make Olympic history in 100-meter dash

BY LINDA ROBERTSON
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

BEIJING — The women’s 100-meter dash is typically a race between individuals and a clash of egos.

But with three Americans and three Jamaicans in the final field of eight, Sunday’s race was one between nations with long histories of sprinting success.

Not only did Jamaica win, but it humbled the U.S. by sweeping the medals. Shelly-Ann Fraser, a young mother with a breathless laugh, pulled away easily and punched the air as she crossed the finish line in a time of 10.78 seconds, winning by two tenths of a second, the same margin of Usain Bolt’s victory the night before.

Miami sprinter fades to fourth
Jamaica had never won gold in the Olympic 100, then won two in 24 hours.

Miami’s Lauryn Williams faded in the second half of the race and took fourth, behind Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson, who were declared dual silver medalists after a photo finish.

While the sprinters waited for the official results to appear on the scoreboard, loudspeakers blared reggae music. It was time to celebrate. Long past time. The island nation of 2.8 million has always produced great track and field athletes in numbers disproportionate to its population.

False start by U.S.’s Edwards
For the U.S., it was a dreary day at Bird’s Nest Stadium. While Jamaica surged, the U.S. stumbled. Two track and field teams were going in opposite directions.

The women’s 100 was marred by an obvious false start by American Torri Edwards that wasn’t called by officials. Afterward, a U.S. protest was rejected.

Certainly, Edwards’ movement, which did not generate eno

ugh force on the starting block to activate the false start alarm, hurt her start and that of American Muna Lee in the adjoining lane.

Lee’s reaction time was much slower than usual. But Edwards’ twitch also distracted Stewart, in the other adjoining lane, yet Stewart was able to follow one of the basic rules of sprinting: Keep going unless the race is called back.

‘Rookie mistake’
All the runners acknowledged the false start, but the Americans blamed themselves for not handling it with more poise.

“I’ve never had a bad start like that ever,” Lee said. “That’s my fault. I think I could have run a PR (personal record). I feel great.”

Said Edwards, who finished last: “I think I false started, then I kind of hesitated. It was really a rookie mistake.”

But Fraser, Stewart and Simpson got a groove going inside the Bird’s Nest by taking an animated victory lap with green, yellow and black Jamaican flags.

“No one expected me to win so there was no pressure,” said Fraser, who was relatively unknown even in her country until recently. She did not break 11 seconds until this year. “I’m not nervous anymore. I’m not shy anymore.”

‘Wake-up call’ for U.S.
Then she had to take a call from Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

Williams called it a “wake-up call” for American sprinting.

“We’re used to winning. Maybe we take it for granted,” she said. “We’re getting a pretty good taste of what it’s like to be at the bottom and it’s going to make us hungry to get back to the top.”

If or until that happens, Jamaica’s runners will be the stars of the Beijing Olympics.

“It’s about time,” Stewart said. “The guys should have done it, too. They have the speed. So many great athletes have come so close, and we did it.”