Dampening the Olympic Torch

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Seagren had to go into the finals with an unfamiliar (and visibly stiffer) pole. Straining and pressing for all he was worth, he failed in three attempts to clear 17 ft. 10½ in. Wolfgang Nordwig of East Germany topped 18 ft. ½ in. to pick up the gold medal, leaving Seagren fuming with a silver. The usually easygoing U.S. vaulter thrust the pole into the hands of an I.A.A.F. official and turned away angrily from Nordwig's extended hand. Seagren returned to shake hands, but his anger was scarcely concealed. "The only difference between the pole I'm using and the one I used two years ago is that this one is 500 grams lighter and painted a different color. Every major vaulter in the world, including Nordwig, had access to the new poles before I did."

After that, it seemed as if nothing else could happen to the U.S. team short of its premier runner falling down in the middle of a crucial race. That is just what he did. Jim Ryun, 25, the Kansas enigma who overcame psychological problems in his comeback in the 1,500-meter run, opened his qualifying heat by taking his accustomed spot at the rear of the pack. With 500 meters to go, Ryun began to make his move. His target: Kenya's Kipchoge Keino, who had defeated Ryun in the heady Mexico City air. Ryun only needed to finish fourth to qualify. But as he challenged the pack, he tangled legs with Ghana's Billy Fordjour, clipped himself in the jaw with his own knee and went sprawling across the track. The fans cheered as a stunned Ryun struggled to his feet and gamely tried to catch up. But it was much too late, and the long striding runner failed to qualify in what was surely his last bid for Olympic gold.

Lucky Cap. Ryun's sad accident seemed to leave Keino (already a surprise gold medalist in the 3,000-meter steeplechase) with no serious competition in the 1,500, the Olympiad's most prestigious race. As startling as Ryun's accident was the victory of Dave Wottle, 22, of Bowling Green University in the 800-meter run. At the outset Wottle had not been given much of a chance in the 800—even by U.S. Track Coach Bill Bowerman. In the eyes of the dour University of Oregon coach, Wottle would be unable to overcome two afflictions, both suffered in July: tendinitis of the knees and marriage.

As the race got under way, Wottle ran dead last for 500 meters, but was finally inspired by the sight of the favorite, Russia's Yevgeny Arzhanov, beginning his furious kick on the bell lap.

Picking up speed, Wottle passed two flying Kenyans on the outside and took aim on Arzhanov. With one last lung-devouring spurt, he lunged for the finish line and edged the falling Russian by the length of his lucky cap (which he forgot to remove during the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner). Growled Bowerman, who once withdrew a runner's scholarship because the boy got engaged: "Well, he sure shot one theory of mine to hell."

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