A Bump, a Spike, a Fall

Just past the halfway mark of the 3,000 meters, Mary Decker and Zola Budd were running at the front of the pack when Budd pulled ahead by half a stride and began to crowd Decker in the inside lane. Coming out of the turn and into the straightaway, the two bumped. Budd lurched slightly but recovered. Six strides later, her left foot grazed Decker's right thigh, causing her to reel off balance. Her left foot suddenly splayed out wildly-directly in Decker's path. As Decker took her next step, her right foot came down hard on the inside of Budd's left ankle, gashing the South African and drawing blood. Budd's face contorted in pain as she staggered, but she kept her balance. At the same moment, Decker screamed and toppled forward. As she went down, her right hand reached out for balance and grasped Budd's number, ripping it off her back. Decker landed hard on her left hip as she crashed in the grass infield. She lay sprawled face down for several seconds, grabbing the back of her left thigh with one hand, pathetically clutching Budd's crumpled number with the other. "My first thought was, I have to get up," Decker said later. "But as soon as I made the slightest move I felt the muscle tear or pull." She tried to rise but could not. "I felt I was tied to the ground, and all I could do was watch them run off."