The Real Story Behind This Iconic Olympics Photo

Mary Decker was the favorite. Zola Budd was a mystery. Photographer David Burnett captured their clash. [ view in [browser](. add runnersworld@newsletter.runnersworld.com to your address book ] [RunnersWorld.com]( FOLLOW US [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [You Tube]( [The Real Story Behind This Iconic Olympics Photo]( In the history of athletic achievement, there are shared moments of spectacle that become revered as milestones belonging to the competitor, near winner, and the public at large. Bannister's four-minute mile, Willie Mays's 'bread basket' World Series catch, Bob Beamon's miraculous long jump in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. For the most part, those are moments to be cherished and appreciated for their singular greatness. And for the most part, my observations of sport, in particular world-class sport, have been of those events that form part of a bigger picture filled with the excitement that great competition creates. However, there is one event that will stay with me, that represents the ultimate moment of disappointment and loss. Thirty-six years ago, I was attending my first Olympic Games—the Los Angeles 1984 Summer Games—for TIME magazine. Athletes were emerging who would become famous in the annals of American Olympic history: Mary Lou Retton, Carl Lewis, Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Greg Louganis. It was a year of pent-up demand, as the United States had boycotted the 1980 Moscow Games after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. The divers were there to dive, the runners were there to run, all were there to compete in the extreme. [READ ON]( [RunnersWorld.com]( [Runners Create #RunWithRivs Fundraiser for Tommy Rivers Puzey]( Organizers ask you to run, walk, hike, bike, swim, paddle, or just move to log miles for the beloved runner battling cancer. [Read On]( [RunnersWorld.com]( [The Distance 9 Is Newton’s Lightest, Fastest Shoe Yet]( Propulsive forefoot lugs and a featherweight upper complete the equation for speed day. [Read On]( [RunnersWorld.com]( [Calves or Quads? Wave or Nod? All the Ways to Be Your Own True Runner]( Compare yourself with others in our polls to see where you stand among other runners! [Read On]( [RunnersWorld.com]( [2013 Boston Marathon Bomber’s Death Sentence Overturned on Appeal]( A federal appeals court ordered a new trial on whether bomber should face execution. [Read On]( [RunnersWorld.com]( [The Clifton 7 Provides a Springy Ride on a Plush Midsole]( Testers favored this soft, responsive shoe for base building and recovery miles. [Read On]( [runnersworld.com]( ©2020 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019 [Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Notice](