First for the country since 1920 Olympics

By TERRYJONES -- Edmonton Sun
 SYDNEY -- Marion Jones didn't have her husband as a distraction while she was breezing through her 100-metre heats here yesterday.

 Hubby wasn't here. Hubby C.J. Hunter, the defending world champion in the shotput, is injured.

 His American mates managed to win silver and bronze. But one of the best early stories of these Olympics in track and field was written when Finland's Arsi Harju won the gold.

 Not since 1920 has a Finn won a shotput gold at the Olympics. Harju broke the drought and heads to Edmonton 2001 as the Olympic champion.

 "I was thinking of a medal, but I really didn't believe in gold. I can't believe this has happened,'' he said.

 Silver medal-winning Adam Nelson of the U.S. was equally thrilled.

 "Unbelievable,'' he said. "The Olympics is the biggest meet in the world and it only happens once every four years. Last year I wasn't even in medal contention.''

 But it was John Gordina of the U.S., the bronze medallist, who saw himself as the biggest benefactor of Hunter's withdrawal due to injury.

 "Bronze sure beats fourth,'' he said.

 The 20-km race walk caused controversy when Bernardo Segura of Mexico won the race and took the Mexican flag on a victory tour of Olympic Stadium in front of 110,000 cheering fans. They took the win away from him. Segura was disqualified for losing contact with the pavement.

 Robert Korzenikowski became the Olympic champion with Mexican Noe Hernandez moved up from bronze to silver.

 The latter wasn't impressed.

 "I don't deserve the silver because I won the bronze,'' he said.

 Korzenikowski had an entirely different outlook on it.

 "I can't express what I'm feeling,'' he said. "I was a silver medallist. And then a few seconds later and I'm a gold medallist.

 "I cried when I found out I had won.

 "The last 10 days I saw myself as a winner. Just before the start I knew that I would win the gold medal.''

 Russian Vladimir Andreyev, who moved from fourth to become a bronze medallist, wasn't complaining either.

 "Fourth is nothing,'' he said. "Then I found out the Mexican was disqualified and that I was third. Third is something.''

 If the result of Segura finishing first and Korzenikowski finishing second had stood, the one-second difference between the two walkers would have been the closest in Olympic history in the event.

 All the podium people from both events plus the injured Hunter and disqualified Segura are expected to compete next year at Edmonton 2001, eighth IAAF World Championships in Athletics.