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"If I lose eight stone, I
think I'll be up there with the best of them. I've never ran this far
before."
American Samoan Trevor
Misapeka, 22 stone and 6ft 2in, who trundled home last in
14.28 seconds some 30 metres behind the winner in his heat of the men's
100 metres sprint at the World Athletics Championships in Edmonton,
Canada. His country's only representative at the games, he was allowed
to enter the sprint event after failing to reach the qualifying distance
in his own sport - the discuss.
August
2001
"...I'm
not even a household name in my own household."
US
boxing unknown Mike Middleton, 33, who is reputedly being paid
just £3,500 (approx. US$5,500) to fight British Olympic super
heavyweight champion Audley Harrison - making his professional debut at
Wembley, London, England.
Middleton
lost the fight in the first round - lasting precisely 2 minutes 45
seconds.
May
2001
"Foreigners already think
we're the rudest nation on earth. This kind of thing just
confirms the image the world has of us."
Embarrassed
US sprinter Nancy Perry on the arrogant
distasteful behaviour of the USA's men's sprint relay
quartet of Maurice Greene, Jon Drummond, Bernard Williams
and Brian Lewis following their victory
"celebrations" in Sydney, Australia. Patrick
Collins of The Mail on Sunday described their posturing
and posing as 'loutish arrogance' and 'one of the most
cringe-making exhibitions that the Olympics has seen.'
September
2000
"If I carry on rowing, I
won't have a marriage."
Five times
British Olympic champion, Steve Redgrave,
38, contemplating his future, following his historic
victory in the coxless fours at Sydney's Penrith Lakes.
"..will we have to move
because we don't have room for his medals?
Steve
Redgrave's nine year old daughter to her mother
shortly after her father's historic win.
September
2000
"I never wanted to be a
swimmer. I wanted to be an air hostess or an
actress."
Equatorial
Guinea 50 metre freestyle swimmer Paula Barila
Bolopa, 18, who finished her heat at the Sydney
Olympics 40 seconds slower than the top qualifier. Miss Balopa, who only learned to swim six months ago, had the
capacity crowd of 17,500 cheering her every painful
stroke.
September
2000
"I thought it was too far
for me but I made it."
Swimmer Eric
Moussambani, 22, one of the two strong
Equatorial Guinea Olympic team, who recorded the slowest
competitive time ever for the 100 meters freestyle -
after finishing his heat more than one minute outside the
world record. He swam his heat alone after the only other
two competitors were disqualified for jumping the
starter's gun. At the finish, Moussambani, who only
started swimming in January of this year, received a rapturous reception from the 17,500 capacity crowd in
Sydney, Australia.
September
2000
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