Chapter 291: At her prime she was the best sprinter in the world.

 

The sprinters bend down. Statuesque and waiting. My mind drifts to Raelene Boyle.

Raelene Boyle was the most beautiful graceful sprinter ever. She floated and glided effortlessly around the track. Smooth and lovely to behold. Her feet didn’t touch the track.

But she was also effective. At her prime she was the best sprinter in the world. She often won. But not always. Not when a gold medal was the prize.

 

1968 Mexico Olympics

 

17 years old. Silver in the 200m.  

 

Gold medal to Poland’s Irena Swezinska: A legitimate champion. A woman who won in total seven Olympic medals.   

 

Jesse Owens, winner of four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics said: I have not seen a girl so beautifully balanced.  

 
1972 Munich Olympics

 

Two silver medals. 100m and 200m. Gold medal to Renate Stecher of East Germany.

Raelene: It’s a strange feeling to look back. That girl with tears in her eyes standing with a silver medal around her neck is a completely different person … If I could, I would love to reach back through time, put my arm around her shoulders and tell her not to worry about it. Look at you, I would say. You’re 21 years old and you are the fastest non drug-taking athlete in the world. You are still Australia’s only track and field medallist at these Olympics. In fact, you will be the country’s only medallist on the track between 1968 and 1980.

Raelene: You go to the museum in Berlin and you can pull out drawers and see what those women were taking to make them run so fast.

 

1976 Montreal Olympics

 

In her preferred event the 200m she was disqualified for two false starts. Video footage shows her first start was legitimate. Her second start was false because she was questioning the officials about the first start. 

 

Raelene: I wasn’t starting. I was coming off the mark to discuss the matter with him. I didn’t realise until just before I got on the mark that it was I who’d been given the break. I wanted to say to him, ‘Hang on, I didn’t break then.’ I just rolled off the mark, and the gun went. Then it all sank in, that it really was a start, and I should have had my mind on the job.

 

1976. Her brother Ron in the team as sprint cyclist.

 

1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games

 

Gold medal in the 400 metres.

 

In four Commonwealth Games she won seven gold medals.

In three Olympic Games she achieved three Olympic silver medals in three very competitive events.

 

Post Running

 

It became public knowledge that the East German grunt and power that beat her was drug fueled.

 

I have heard Raelene Boyle speak about Renate Stecher. She does not have any ill will towards her. She feels sorry for her. Renate Stecher was forced to damage her long term health in order to promote a country which was doomed.

 

The media portrays Raelene Boyle as the fastest drug free athlete in the world. Robbed of a gold medal. Robbed, defeated and not achieving the ultimate.  Always portrayed as a failure. Someone unsuccessful because of drug cheats.

It is true that East Germany made doping an integral part of athletic training. An estimated 10,000 athletes were involved.

But Raelene Boyle is a lot more than that. She ran close to perfection. Every time she ran she achieved something. She showed people what was possible. She people showed elegance, grace and beauty. She showed people beautiful running. That is her special subject. Not drugs in sport.

 

What can I learn from her to help me?

 

Her grace and style was instinctive. Natural. As a child she was active and participated in many different activities and played every day with everybody. Her brother proved how important her upbringing was. My grandkids need to run and play everything they can. Enjoy themselves with no thought of the future.

 

She saw the best and worst of people and countries. She was lucky where she was born.  She lived in a country which had a well-run organised athletic system and the money to pay for her trips around the world. A country which didn’t need drugs.

 

Today she lives in a country which doesn’t discriminate. Which has a good health system and people happy willing and able to donate to the charities she supports. She has had a good life including a time when she was the best sprinter in the world.