Title/Author:
“Olympic Collision:
The Story of Mary Decker and Zola Budd” by Kyle Keiderling
Tags:
Summer Olympics,
running, history, race, politics
Publish date:
November 1, 2016
Length:
368 pages
Rating:
5 of 5 stars (outstanding)
Review:
One of the most
memorable moments in modern Olympics history occurred in the 1984 Summer
Olympics in Los Angeles. In front of more than 90,000 raucous fans, America’s
sweetheart of those games, Mary Decker, was the favorite to win the gold medal
in the women’s 3000-meter race. One runner who posed a serious threat to Decker’s
chance at gold was nineteen-year-old Zola Budd, a native of South Africa who
was representing Great Britain. During the finals, the two runners collided and
tumbled to the ground, ending the race for both of them and leaving a famous
image of Decker wailing in physical and emotional pain.
The stories of these
two runners, who took very different paths to that fateful moment, are captured
in this outstanding book by Kyle Keiderling. Through exhaustive research and
interviews with many people who worked with or were close to both runners, Keiderling’s
writing will take the reader not only to the Los Angeles Coliseum on that fateful
day, but also brings the reader behind the scenes during each runner’s
training, family life and their careers after the 1984 Olympics. It is written
in an easy to read, entertaining style that brings each runner to life.
The public perception
of the two runners in the immediate aftermath of their collision was
sympathetic to Budd and critical of Decker. I found the book to have a similar
pattern, as Decker is portrayed throughout the book as a difficult person, both
privately and publicly. Interestingly enough, in the acknowledgement section,
Keiderling mentions that Decker refused to acknowledge requests for interviews.
This is not to be critical of the author for any criticism that may be written
about Decker as any opinions expressed by those involved in her life were
supported by actions or facts given. In fact, I found this to be an excellent
illustration of why the public perception of Decker was less than favorable.
However, Budd (now
Zola Pieterse) was very cooperative and gave the author so much information
about her difficulties during the early 1980’s. Budd unwillingly became a
symbol of South Africa’s apartheid political system. Her move to Great Britain to run for that
nation was orchestrated by a London newspaper and her father, from whom she
later became estranged. Through all this, Keiderling paints a more sympathetic
picture of Budd, who many times before and after the Olympics simply stated
that she just wanted to run.
There are also
significant passages about specific training methods for runners, the
allegations of the use of performance enhancing drugs by not only athletes from
communist countries at the time but also by Decker, and the South African
system of apartheid and what protesters and international athletic associations
felt about Budd’s citizenship in Great Britain. This information is important
toward understanding the complex lives of both women.
The stories of these
two female runners and the one moment that will link the two of them together
forever make for a great read. Any
reader who wants to learn more about these outstanding athletes or the inside
world of the Olympics and running will want to add this page-turner to his or
her library.
I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Book Format Read:
E-Book
Buying links (pre-order
at time of posting):
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