9781422284292

GREATEST MOMENTS

Fighting to Finish

Decker was injured in her fall and did not finish the race. Eight years later at the games in Barcelona, an in-race injury to British runner Derek Redmond also ended his race. The enduring image, however, was a very different one. Redmond was a medal contender coming into the 400 m (437 yard) semifinal in Barcelona after an injury forced him to withdraw from the Seoul Games in 1988. Redmond was running well down the backstretch when his hamstring popped. He fell to the ground in pain but waved off medical personnel when they ran out to assist him. His father, who was watching from the stands, jumped onto the track and ran out to help his son. Together, the two men walked the final meters, son leaning on father, so Redmond could cross the finish line. The 65,000 spectators gave them a standing ovation.

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