TIME Pacific | Hard Track | September 25, 2000

TIME Pacific Home
From TIME Pacific
Magazine Archive
Web Features
Photo Essays

Subscribe to TIME
Customer Service
About Us
Press Release
Write to TIME Pacific

TIME.com
TIME Asia
TIME Canada
TIME Europe
TIME Pacific
ON
Asiaweek
Latest CNN News

TIME PACIFIC
September 25, 2000 | NO. 38

Hard Track
Suspense and surprises on the velodrome's first night
-By LISA CLAUSEN

It was a night for reviving old rivalries and burying past failures. The Sydney Games' first session of track cycling was tipped as a tussle for gold between France and Australia: Arnaud Tournant and Shane Kelly in the men's 1-km time trial; Felicia Ballanger and Michelle Ferris in the women's 500-m time trial. For Kelly the crowd wanted more than Olympic glory; after his tragically brief showing at Atlanta, where his foot slipped from the pedal, they wanted to cheer him to gold. After being placed on the track with his shoes already attached to the pedals, Kelly started smoothly, but came home to a bronze medal in a time of 1 min. 2.818 sec. "I'm just happy to be back on the podium," he said.

The night's big upset was the absence of Tournant from that podium. Tournant had broken Kelly's world record in June with a time of 1:00.148, but on Sept. 16 was almost 3 sec. slower. The silver went to German Stefan Nimke and the gold to Britain's Jason Queally, who set an Olympic record (1:01.609). Queally admitted he had thought himself an outside chance for third: "If I can win a gold medal, I think there's hope for many, many others."

There was no such upset in the women's 500-m time trial. Ballanger, the event's five-time world champion, held Ferris to silver in the sprint at Atlanta and repeated the feat in the 500 m at Sydney. Ferris was elated with her 34.696 sec., but then had to watch as the French superstar, her face contorted with exertion, snatched the lead-and gold-by just over half a second.

Copyright © 2001 Time Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
E-mail us: Letter to the Editor | Customer Service Privacy Policy

September 25, 2000 | NO. 38

C O V E R
T H E OLYMPIC GAMES
COVER: Let There Be Sport
Sydney lights the Olympic flame and welcomes the world's athletes in a spectacular pageant of music, dance and story that brings together Aboriginal mythology and popular culture
SWIMMING: King of Lap Land
Australia's teen sensation Ian Thorpe sends records tumbling
TRIATHLON: On Track
The new sport makes a thrilling debut in a telegenic setting
SHOOTING: Diamond Eye
The Atlanta dark horse wins a second gold medal in the trap
CYCLING: Blazing Saddles
Michelle Ferris takes silver; Shane Kelly settles for bronze
NOTEBOOK: Highlights of the first few days
OLYMPIC SCENE: When just competing is a victory
A R T S

CINEMA: In Space Cowboys, Hollywood acts its age
Shakespeare's Titus-with tattoos

U S A
CAMPAIGN 2000: When Dubya Went Off-Message

TIME PACIFIC September 25, 2000 | NO. 38

TIME PACIFIC
September 25, 2000 | NO. 38