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US Joanna Hayes Wins 100M
Hurdles
” Joanna Hayes screamed as she
crossed the finish line of the 100-meter hurdles in Olympic-record time.
About 90 meters behind her, world champion Perdita Felicien lay flat on the
ground, crying in disbelief.
Felicien got off to a bad start and stepped on the first hurdle, tumbling to
the ground and taking Irina Shevchenko of Russia with her. All Felicien
could do was watch Hayes win in 12.37 seconds, breaking the Olympic record
of 12.38 set by Bulgaria's Yordanka Donkova 16 years ago.
After the race, Felicien still couldn't believe what happened.
"I'm devastated," said Felicien, a Canadian who attended the University of
Illinois. "I don't think this is going to sink in. I think it's going to
take four years for it to sink in. I'm devastated. I was ready to run that
race. I was ready to do this."
Olena Krasovska of Ukraine won silver in 12.45 and Melissa Morrison of the
United States won her second straight Olympic bronze, in 12.56.
After the victory, Hayes fell to the track before running to the stands to
accept congratulations and wrapping herself in the American flag.
"Going in, I felt I was going to run 12.37. I just did what I told myself I
was going to do," Hayes said. "I worked hard to be at this point, and any
given day I may lose or win a race. I'm not saying I can't be beaten, but
tonight I'm the best hurdler in the world."
Before the race, it was Felicien who was ranked No. 1 in the world. She came
into the race as the favorite after 37-year-old Gail Devers (news - web
sites) failed to make it out of her opening heat because of a strained left
calf. During the semifinals Monday, Hayes dedicated the race to her fallen
teammate.
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