A LONG GOODBYE : JOYNER-KERSEE PULLS OUT BRONZE ON HER FINAL LEAP.Byline: MICHAEL VENTRE Bronze might look good on baby shoes, but it never appealed to Jackie Joyner-Kersee Jackie Joyner-Kersee (born March 3, 1962 in East St. Louis, Illinois) is a retired American athlete, ranked amongst the all-time greatest in heptathlon as well as the long jump. She won three gold, one silver and two bronze Olympic medals. . She always looked better in gold. She had two gold medals in two previous heptathlons. In this Olympiad, she would not make it a third. And although she won a bronze in the women's long jump four years ago, it was more of an afterthought, a bauble to fill out the mantel. The idea of no medal at all was too catastrophic to even consider. Yet there she was Friday at Olympic Stadium The Olympic Stadium is the name usually given to the big centrepiece stadium of the Summer Olympic Games. Traditionally, the opening and closing ceremonies and the track & field competitions are held in the Olympic Stadium. , left with only a sore thigh, a big heart and one final attempt in one last Olympics. ``After the fifth jump, I was upset,'' she said of her final round in the long jump. ``I said to myself, `O.K., change your attitude. It takes six jumps. Have no doubts in your mind. Don't think about the pain. Just run up that board. If the muscle goes, it goes.' '' The right thigh muscle, under a heavy wrap, behaved. And Joyner-Kersee soared. Not long enough to win the competition, but enough to earn a place on the medal podium and one more opportunity to wave joyously to a sold-out stadium. Joyner-Kersee won a bronze medal Friday in the women's long jump. She did so by pulling out a leap of 22 feet, 11-3/4 inches in her last chance, then holding on as the others in the field faltered. Chioma Ajunwa Chioma Ajunwa (born December 25, 1970 in Umuihiokwu Mbaise, Imo State) is a former athlete from Nigeria, who previously played football for the Nigerian women's team. She is the first Nigerian to win an Olympic gold medal as well as the first African woman to win an Olympic gold won Nigeria's first-ever gold medal when her initial attempt of 23-4-1/2 held up; Fiona May Fiona May (born December 12, 1969 in Slough, England) was an athlete who competed for the United Kingdom and later Italy in the long jump. She won the World Championships twice and two Olympic silver medals. Her personal best jump was 7. of Italy won the silver with a 23-0-1/2. ``One thing I had going for myself,'' Joyner-Kersee said, ``was just to keep a smile on my face and be happy.'' Considering the circumstances, the Canoga Park resident and former UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX star should wear a permanent grin. Disappointment was crushing earlier this week when the pain in her leg caused her to pull out of the heptathlon heptathlon: see under decathlon. heptathlon Women's athletics competition. Contestants take part in seven different track-and-field events: 100-m hurdles, shot put, high jump, long jump, javelin throw, and 200- and 800-m runs. . At that juncture, when the lasting image for her of Atlanta promised to be a sorrowful sor·row·ful adj. Affected with, marked by, causing, or expressing sorrow. See Synonyms at sad. sor  row·ful·ly adv. limp away from the hurdles, the long jump was truly a long shot. The track world waited for the verdict. As it did, names like Michael Johnson Michael Johnson or Mike Johnson may refer to:
Daniel ("Dan") Dion O'Brien (born July 18, 1966 in Portland, Oregon) is a former American decathlete. and Gail Devers Yolanda Gail Devers (born November 19, 1966 in Seattle, Washington, USA) is a three-time Olympic 100 m champion in athletics for the US Olympic Team. Devers grew up near National City, CA and graduated from Sweetwater High School in National City, CA. dominated the American consciousness in track and field. Jackie Joyner-Kersee was a name of the past, albeit an illustrious one. She was 34. She was injured. She was bound for the exit. Not so. After three jumps - each of which got progressively better - she made the cut when the field went from 12 to eight. ``It was really tough,'' she said. ``It hurt. Yes, it hurt. Each time the tendon pulled at the muscle, or the muscle pulled at the tendon. When I touched it, it was real tender. I tried to move around a lot, but I didn't want to tire myself out. If I didn't move around, it would get tight.'' She had three jumps left. With the fourth, she fouled. With the fifth, she came up with her worst effort yet - 21-4-3/4. She had one more effort before retirement arrived. She had a brief chat with herself: ``I said, `O.K., I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. what I did wrong, but I know there's more there. This is it, Jackie. This is it. You trained all year long for this. Either attack it, or don't jump at all.' '' She attacked. The 22-11-3/4 was hardly Beamonesque, but it bested all but two previous attempts. And none of the women after her could knock it off the board. When the results became official, the crowd roared in tribute, more to Joyner-Kersee's unlikely bronze than the efforts of the other two medalists. Joyner-Kersee came into the interview room, flanked by her husband and coach, Bob Kersee. She was smiling through the pain, taking light, slow steps, as if that last leap had disconnected every bit of tissue in her body. All three medalists appeared. When May was asked how she felt about taking second, she answered: ``I wanted to do well. It's better than a bronze medal.'' This created an uncomfortable moment in the room. There was Joyner-Kersee, sore and tired and fresh off one of the gutsiest achievements of her career, and a competitor was sniffing at it. The squirming came to a halt. Joyner-Kersee fielded the very next question and proclaimed, ``A bronze medal is better than no medal.'' She was the oldest woman in the final field of 12 Friday night. There will be no visit to Sydney in four years. ``These are my last Olympic Games Olympic games, premier athletic meeting of ancient Greece, and, in modern times, series of international sports contests. The Olympics of Ancient Greece Although records cannot verify games earlier than 776 B.C. ,'' she declared. The husband-wife team will now consider other options, including a career in the new women's pro basketball league Noun 1. basketball league - a league of basketball teams basketball team, five - a team that plays basketball league, conference - an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members . When asked if she might consider playing basketball in the next Summer Games, she paused, then laughed as loud as she probably has in months. She never did answer the question. Her immediate concern? ``I want to concentrate on getting healthy and enjoying my bronze medal,'' she said. In this case, it's as good as gold. MEMO: Michael Ventre's column appears in the Daily News four days a week. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos Photo: (1--color) Under the circumstances - she jumped w ith a thigh injury - Jackie Joyner-Kersee was tickled to win a bronze medal. (2) Jackie Joyner-Kersee concluded her Olympic career with a bronze medal in the long-jump competition. Associated Press |
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