Zola Budd - 1984 Olympic 3000 Metres

1984 Olympic 3000 Metres

In the 1984 Olympics, held in Los Angeles, California, the media billed the 3000 m race as a duel between Budd and American world champion Mary Decker, few reporting that a third contestant, Romanian Maricica Puică, had set the fastest time that year.

Decker set a fast pace from the gun with Budd in close pursuit followed by Puică and Britain's Wendy Smith-Sly. When the pace slowed, just past the midway point, Budd took the lead on the straight and ran wide of the pack around the turn. Setting the pace, she took herself, Decker, Smith-Sly and Puică clear of the pack. She seemed to assume control of the race coming out of the turn on the track at 1700 metres. It was an unusual situation for both Budd and Decker, both of them used to running in front and well ahead. It was at 1700 metres, the first, more minor collision occurred. Mary Decker came into contact with one of Budd's legs, knocking Budd slightly off balance. Apparently unfazed, both women maintained their close position. Five strides on, at race time of 4' 58", the following occurred: perhaps in reaction to the first brush, Budd and Decker again contacted. Budd's left foot brushed Decker's thigh, causing the younger runner to lose her balance. The physical backlash of this, sent her into Decker's path. Decker's spiked running shoe in reaction, came down hard into Budd's ankle, just above the heel, which drew blood. Videotapes examined by Olympic officials, showed Zola Budd in closeup, as visibly in pain. Budd, however, maintained equilibrium and kept stride. Decker, now very much off balance, emoted, falling forward, flailing arms, seeking support. She caught hold of the number on Budd's back, which tore free. With this still in hand, Mary Decker literally crashed onto the infield. Her left hip impacted, from which she sustained an injury. She was unable to resume the race.

Zola Budd, deeply affected by the occurrence, continued to lead for a while, but faded, finishing 7th amid a resounding chorus of boos. Her finishing time of 8 m. 48 s. was well outside her best of 8 m. 37 s. Writing in her autobiography years later, Budd stated that she deliberately slowed down to take herself out of contention because she couldn't face collecting a medal in front of the hostile partisan crowd. Budd tried to apologize to Decker in the tunnel after the race, but Decker was upset, and replied, “Don’t bother!” Puică took gold, with Sly in second, and Canada's Lynn Williams the bronze.

Although Budd was jeered by the crowd, an IAAF jury found that she was not responsible for the collision. Decker said many years after the event “The reason I fell, some people think she tripped me deliberately. I happen to know that wasn’t the case at all. The reason I fell is because I am and was very inexperienced in running in a pack."

In general, it is the trailing athlete's responsibility to avoid contact with the runner ahead; whether or not Budd had sufficient control of the race to have pulled into the curve as she naturally did was hotly disputed. "This doesn't mean," track journalist Kenny Moore wrote in the aftermath, "that a leader can swerve in with impunity, but that in the give and take of pack running, athletes learn to make allowances." At first the US media sided with Decker, while the British press supported Budd.

In 2002 the moment was ranked 93rd in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Sporting Moments.

On an episode of Celebrity Come Dine With Me Budd stated to this day that she has never seen footage of the collision.