CATCHING A SECOND WIND
It all looked so hopeless. Halima was stuck in the middle of the pack with no way out.
She had just over 350 meters to go if she was going to make an impact.
But she was living dangerously.
The lanky Norwegian behind her had already clipped her heels, not once but twice.
She could feel in front of her the Ethiopian was flagging. There were only two other runners between the Norwegian and the lead runner, a rangy American who seemed to be controlling the race.
The Ethiopian to her right had boxed her in as they came around the final bend. She had no room to manoevre.
She looked over shoulder to see where her countrywoman was. She was too far behind to help.
She felt she still had a lot more breath in her tank, running in her legs. She was frustrated. She was close to tears...
She had worked so hard to get here. The grumbling of her tummy at night, from hunger because she had sacrificed her supper to buy better trainers.
The Chinese water torture of running through pouring rain, up high in the hills, her breath a persistent rasp in response to the rarefied atmosphere.
The soreness of her muscles, she swore sometimes her quads turned to stone from the soreness, but having to wake up the next day and endure the same torture.
How many family events, church services, babies born, relatives buried had she missed in pursuit of her dream? To be the fastest runner over 800m.
They said she was crazy to dream. She was setting her self up for massive disappointment. She thought she was better them. She should be married by now. Esau's daughter, her classmate, had had twins at the first go, 18 months later and she was already heavy with her third tot.
She was being selfish. Her father was poor and needed the cows that would come with her bride price.
She feared her mother's faith in her would waiver. She couldn't bare to think of letting her mother down.
Her earliest memories were of her mother carrying her to school on her back, secured by a lesu, the multipurpose cloth that could be used as bedsheet, wrapper or as harness to carry babies around on busy mothers' backs.
It happened in the blink of an eye.
The Ethiopian boxing her in, preventing a final charge by Halima, stumbled. Ever so briefly. But it meant she slowed down and an opening presented itself.
Halima burst through the opening into the second lane.
There were 150 meters to go and she was about four strides, maybe six for her short legs between her and the long legged American.
With thoughts of her mother still fresh in her mind she gave chase.
She went past the Burundian in two strides, which brought her shoulder to shoulder with Kenyan, who responded with a burst of pace of her won but Halima had the momentum. They run shoulder to shoulder for a brief moment and then it was only the American two strides ahead.
The finishing tape was so close she could see the sponsors logo in high definition. Was she too late?
She couldn't just let her legs carry her along. Her eyes widened into huge, white orbs, she set her jaw and pumped her arms.
The American looked over her shoulder sensing danger.
Halima was right on her shoulder. She was so close she could lick the thin film of sweat on her chocolate brown skin.
But not for long . The American responded. Lengthening her stride and with 70 meters to go, for a fraction of a second she widened the gap between her and the flailing Halima.
But Halima was not done yet. Her heart pounding. Her breath rasping painfully. Her legs, she felt ready to give way and her if she dared slow down.
The pundits said it was the best finish they had veer witnessed -- man or woman, in the two lap race.
And when the result came through, after what seemed like hours of suspense nothing separated the two runners.
She collapsed in disbelief onto the tartan track. And broke into tears. The American was already off waving the star spangled banner on a victory lap.
Get up let us all also go, her country mate urged her, shoving her country's flag into her arms, dragging off onto her own lap of honour.
The record would show that in the Olympic Games 800m women's final there were two gold medalists, two world record holders ... they shaved off eight hundredths of a second off the 41 year old record.
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