Zola Budd Pieterse ran along the Boulder Creek Path on a pleasant Colorado morning as easily and lightly as she did in those sea change Olympic Games in Los Angeles back in 1984.



Then, Budd was a teenaged sprite from South Africa at the front of the field in the 3,000m, running lightly and smoothly on bare feet, leading the best in the world. American Mary Decker (now Mary Slaney) was directly behind her, with Wendy Sly of Great Britain and Romanian Maricica Puica following. The four had gapped the field, and with less than a mile to go, each was positioning for the final drive to the tape.

And then, suddenly — whoa! — pre-race and U.S. favorite Decker was down, prone on the grass infield just inside the curb, in tears. Budd, just 17, and in one of her first international races ever, continued around the track, aware of Decker’s fall but with no idea of the umbrage and boos about to rain down upon her slight back.

“No, no, no,” says Budd, a native of South Africa who was competing for Great Britain at those Los Angeles Olympics. “I have never watched that video; I never will.”