Joanna Hayes of the United States won a dramtic Olympic Games women's 100 metres hurdles gold medal in Athens yesterday evening.
Olena Krasovska of Ukraine won silver and Melissa Morrison of the United States took bronze.
However, the race was turned on its head as race favourite and world champion Perdita Felicien fell heavily at the first hurdle and in a vain attempt to cushion her fall the Canadian's right arm caught Russia's Irina Shevchenko bringing her down as well.
Hayes, ignorant of the carnage, carried on leading from start to finish and collapsed in surprise on realising she had won.
Krasovska added Olymppic silver to European silver while Morrison had to settle for her second successive bronze in the Olympics.
Felicien made a lonely walk back to the changing rooms flinging her shoes behind her onto the track and then lay weeping.
But even if she had not fallen, the burly Canadian, with a lifetime best of 12.46 set this season, may have struggled to stay with Hayes.
The race had been one of the most open finals for years due to the absence of some of the pre-Games favourites.
Gail Devers of the United States, Spain's Glory Alozi and Jamaican duo Brigitte Foster and Delloreen Ennis-London all failed to make the final.
But with the sixth-fastest time in history delivered at exactly the right moment, nobody could deny Hayes was a worthy winner.
Filed by James Boylan
