By Elton Tucker,
Assistant Sport Editor
Deon Hemmings of Jamaica, right, displays the silver medal she won for placing second in the women's 400m hurdles at the Sydney Olympics yesterday. Irina Privalova of Russia won in 53.02 seconds.
DEON HEMMINGS ended her Olympic career on a high note in Sydney yesterday.
Champion in the 400 metres hurdles at Atlanta in 1996, Hemmings helped herself to silver in the 2000 final in a season-best 53.45 seconds at the Olympic Stadium and afterwards said next year's World Championships would be her last major championships.
"Gold in 1996, silver in 2000 I couldn't ask for anything else. I did my best tonight and gave 110 per cent. This is definitely my last Olympics and next year, 2001, will hopefully be the last lap of my career."
Hemmings, 32, said she had a good race and paid tribute to her conqueror, gold medal winner Irina Privalova of Russia, who clocked a personal best 53.02.
"I got out pretty hard and but I think not hard enough for Privalova. On the last turn I saw her and tightened up but I am happy I was able to hold on for the silver.
"Privalova, I think, ran a great race and I respect her for that. I read in a track and field book where it was said that the best 400m hurdler will be a very fast sprinter and when I saw she had taken up the event I said 'Oh my God we are going to be in trouble'. I believe she is going to be even greater next year," Hemmings said.
Morocco's Nezha Bidouane, the 1997 world champion took the bronze in 53.57. Hemmings' medal pushed Jamaica's tally at the Games to four, two silver and two bronze.
The men's 400 metres hurdles final was a classic with the top three men going under 48 seconds. In a close finish, American Angelo Taylor drew on every ounce of his strength to clip Saudia Arabia's H.S. Somayli, winning in a personal best 47.50, the fastest time in the final since Kevin Young, another American, ran the world record 46.78 at Barcelona in 1992. Somali clocked a national record 47.53 with Llewelyn Herbert of South Africa also getting a national record of 47.81.
Jamaica had two finalists in the women's 100m hurdles but did not get among the medals.
Best of the two finalists was Delloreen Ennis-London who was fourth in 12.80. Ennis-London appeared to have the bronze in her grasp coming over the final hurdle but was clipped by American Melissa Morrison.
Brigitte Foster who has had an impressive run here with two personal best times, was unfortunate in the final. She hit the sixth hurdle, lost her rhythm and any chance of a medal. Later it was learnt that she developed cramps during the race and had to be assisted to the medical area by physiotherapist Maureen Pence-Campbell. The gold medal went to Olga Shishigina of Kazakhstan in 12.65, Nigeria's Glory Alozie clocked 12.68 for silver and Morrison ran 12.76 for bronze.
