GLEN DAVIS (USA) won IN Helsinki in 1952 & in Melbourne in 1956; EDWIN MOSES (USA) 1976 in Montreal & 1984 in Los Angeles; ANGELO TAYLOR (USA) 2000 Sydney & 2008 in Beijing; FELIX SANCHEZ (Dominica) At Athens in 2004 and in London in 2012. Now for some extracts from those I spoke to.
EDWIN MOSES Born in Dayton. Ohio 31st of August, 1955.1.86/73kg, He strung together a tally of 122 unbroken victories when running against the best in the World in the 1970’s & early ‘80’s. About his coach in the 1970’s Lloyd Jackson he said “I think he had a definite influence. How well I could do or just going in, hoping to become a Champion. I think faith helped pull me through gave me energy and spirit at a time I did not think I could finish a work out. He took me from being mediocre to being a Champion. What did Edwin feel was his most Pleasing performance? “I think at Los Angeles, Westwood of 47.5 on the 11th of June 1977. It beat the record I had set in Montreal, although it was not really a good race, Knowing I had run that time under those conditions told me I was in terrific shape at the time. It gave me a sign which told me to keep going as I could go under 47 seconds.”
ANGELO TAYLOR Born 29th of December, 1978, Albany Georgia (USA), He not only became a fluent hurdler but won gold medals as a 4x400m relay runner in the Olympics and
World Championships. with a fastest individual time of 44.5 in 2007. It was when he won the Olympic Final in Beijing in 2008 when he ran his 400 hurdles PB of 47.28
It was when times were hard for him, between this two Olympics, when he also worked as an electrician and, started to be coached by a charming man, Innocent Egbunike of Nigeria, who was a Commonwealth 400 flat record holder with a time of 44.17.
“He helped me out a whole lot. I was already a hurdler when I met him but, the thing was, we had a great relationship on and off the track. You need that second eye. It was a team thing. He certainly was one of my special coaches”
“Mt Father Angelo played American Football (Albany State Georgia ) .He also ran track, so growing up I would see his trophies and newspaper clipping so, I kind of knew it was for me”
Angelo was 3rd in the American Olympic Trials so, of course got automatic selection for Chinas and had another shot at a medal and even, a possible golden one in 2008 “
About that one “My friends and family were so supportive. They told me I could do it again. My friend Dwight Phillips said ’They can’t beat you, it is yours to win!
“I had lane 6 in the final, Bershawn was in 7 and Kerron in 4.
First 3 were 1 Angelo Taylor 47.25; 2 Kerron Cement 47.98 and 3rd Bershawn Jackson. Both from USA. Clement went on to win in the Rio Olympics of 2016.
At Sydney in 2000 before that, Angelo explains about the race “ When the gun went off I took it out. I can’t remember
running to the first hurdle then I could not remember anymore of the race till, coming off the last hurdle I could see out of my peripheral vision someone next to me and I can remember dipping at the finish and leaning. I did not know I had really won”
September 27th 2000 Sydney. 1 Angelo Taylor (USA) 47.50; 2 Had Al-Somali (KSA) 47.53; 3 LLewlyn Herbert (Australia) 47.81 (Angelo was 21 at the time!).
FELIX SANCHEZ (A Dominican) Born New York City, August the 30th 1977. Running at 73kg/1.75 (5’10)
In 2004 in Athens he won the Olympic Gold in 47.63 & much later in 2012 he won the Olympic title in London in 47.63. You might ask why such a gap in time?
He was dogged by injuries, hamstring and achiles problems ‘I was not running as my usual self then”
However, his career was sparkling besides that. In 2007, He had hit the ’Million Dollar’ Jackpot by winning all his 7 Golden League races and was World Champion in 2000 & 2003 and, an interesting fact was his time in the Olympic Final in 2004 of 47.63 was exactly the same time he did in 2012, when winning in London.e. Besides his pleasure in winning his two Olympic titles, there was one race that he was particularly pleased with as his best one to remember most.
It was in his home country at the Pan American Games 400 hurdles which he won in 48.19 in 2003.
It was In San Domingo (Although he had run faster in 2007 with a PB of 47.25 Kevin Young of USA held the WR with 46.7. Back to what Felix said “ My favourite race was running in San Domingo for Dominica in that
Pan American Games. I had been in pretty much every stadium in the circuit, a lot of stadiums in the World. There is nothing like running at home. It is different when you have fans! It was different when I ran against Rawlinson in England or against Diagna in France or Fabrizo Morin in Italy. My own home fans wanted their own home town guys to do well. They always followed my career but it was the chance to see me live. There were 35,000 seats in the stadium and there were at least 40,000 packed in like sardines. It was just an amazing day for me. That probably left the biggest impression on me to have a whole stadium supporting you in San Domingo; It was amazing, the stadium was rocking I had never seen anything like that. Fans had always followed my career but it was a chance to see me and my family was there, which made it an amazing day.