Mutola
shows she is still the boss
Nick Davies for the IAAF
12 August 2001 - Edmonton - It’s been a decade since Maria Mutola made her first
appearance at these World Championships, and yet again, she has proved why she
has dominated the 800m for almost as long. Instead of wasting energy running
from the front, where she would have provided a target for her Austrian rival
Stephanie Graf, Mutola let Laetitia Vriesde set a fast pace and then Graf kick
for home before she made her own move. By delaying her final sprint so late –
Mutola went past Graf with only metres of the race remaining – she not only
provided the capacity crowd with a thrilling finish, but proved her confidence
was sky high. “That comes from winning two major titles (Olympic and World
Indoors) in less than a year. I have been around a long time now and I have the
experience when it matters. But I did leave it late!” she joked, and with only
0.18 sec between first and third, the finish resembled a sprint, rather than a
two lap race. “Laetitia and Stephie gave me a really, really tough race today.
It was very tactical – but also exciting for the spectators,” said Mutola.
After her victory, Mutola graciously
acknowledged her rivals and admitted that she had been expecting a tough race
long before arriving in Edmonton, especially because she had lost to Graf in
Paris and Oslo, and been pushed hard by Fabiane dos Santos in Monaco.
With dos Santos disqualified for a doping
offence, Mutola then had to face a new threat in Vriesde, who started her season
poorly, but peaking to perfection at these Championships, running a seasonal
best of 1:57.35. She admitted after the race that, at 36, she was running out of
opportunities to win a medal to add to the silver she won back in 1995. “It took
a lot out of me emotionally, but I knew that the only way I could win a medal
was by running from the front. Coming into the home straight, I was praying:
‘Stephanie and Maria, please don’t pass me, don’t pass me!’ When I crossed the
line I knew I was third, but I still needed to ask someone ‘was it me?’”
Vriesde had been impressive throughout the
rounds, clocking 1:59.58 in the semi-final, despite leading for virtually the
entire race. After training for two years with Luiz de Oliveira, the Brazilian
coach who master minded the careers of two legendary front runners 1984 Olympic
800m champion Joaquim Cruz, and Jose Luiz Barbosa, who was twice a World silver
medallist, her tactics are less of a surprise. “Luiz trains us to go out in
front like a champion and not be afraid of anyone else. If someone wants to beat
you they have to come and get you, and that’s what happened today.”
For the popular Austrian, a self-effacing
star who jokes about being called “Silver Steffi” back home, there was no
disgrace in her latest second place finish: “I am not frustrated today. During
the medal ceremony I was really excited and proud. This was a really perfect
race. I had to make a decision – whether to stay behind Maria and maybe end up
third – or follow Letitia and go for the gold. I couldn’t have waited because
Letitia may have stayed in front. I wouldn’t say I made a mistake. It was very
close and I just needed more luck. Today Maria was the lucky one.”
