European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 24, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday september 24, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary olympic Marathon got a lotto Mota hum Mota rebounds from suspension to win Gold. The Tunnel leading Inlo Seoul s cavernous olympic stadium was lined Wilh officials wearing in july coloured Green yellow and Blu jackets that Are the uniforms of these games. Alongside were brigades of korean police braced and ready for any contingency. Inside the fans wailed for the dramatic moment the final Lap of the women s Marathon Friday. And into this crowd ran a single runner Rosa Mola or Portugal a Wisp of a woman with the spirit of a giant there to claim the la Rel track and Field Gold medal of these games. She arrived alone broken Loose first from a pack of 13 runners who ran together through the first half of the race then from three Lisa Martin of Australia Kalynn Dorre of East Germany and Tatiana Polovi Skaya of the soviet Union who stayed with her until the final 2w  took the Silver medal and Dorre the Bronze. The Gold belonged to Rosa All 5-foot-l and 99 pounds of her who simply ran away from the others when it came Lime to decide the race. She finished in 2 hours 25 minutes and 39 seconds. I am proud for me and my country she  Are a Small country and today we stand beside Large  that is thanks More to the 30-year-old Mola than it is to her country. Portuguese authorities never made it easy for her to run. First there was resistance to the notion thai a unmarried woman would have the nerve to do any thing More ambitious than housework. After she overcame that quaint idea there were clashes Wilh officials Over her training techniques and schedule. If it was t one thing it seemed it was another. Even after Mola won the european Gold in her first Marathon in 1982, then won olympic Bronze in 1984, the european again in 1986, the world championship last year and the prestigious Boston Marathon in april there was grumbling about All manner of issues. At one Point she was suspended four month when fearing a course that could aggravate a chronic Achilles condition she had the audacity to refuse Torun in Monte Carlo defying the wishes of her federation. Imagine her nerve thinking she could Call her own shots. There were threats that she would he left Oft the olympic team As a punishment. It enl 5o Messy it seemed the president of Portugal would have to intercede. When push came to shove however. Mota was in Seoul running for her country. And when she captured olympic Gold for me and my country portuguese officials overlooked her misdemeanours and mobbed her to celebrate the Victory. Everybody loves a Winner to her credit. Mota let them share the glory an refused to gloat. She was gracious in Victory and would nol talk about the problems she encountered on the Long Road into that stadium Tunnel. I am so Happy to win a medal she said i Don t want to talk of the bad times i had in  there was plenty of Lime to think about them As she ran the 26 Miles 385 Yards through the humid teeming streets of Seoul Long distance running can be a lonely Vigil a Challenge to the body and mind. Mota approaches it matter of factly. It is not difficult to be a  she said if you like to run a lot. And 1 like to  at one Point Mola said she thought of the 1984 Marathon Winner american Joan a Noil Sam Jetson. Who was missing from this race. When the 1988 olympic trials were held Sar Huetson passed which was her prerogative. There was nary a Peep from the soc a Condi Tion that probably did not escape Mola s notice considering what she has been through Wilh portugese authorities. If she would not Lalk Aboul the bad times Mot certainly remembers them. When someone asked if the London Marathon was in her future she said she had no definite plans about her schedule. And it s enter cry Likely she won t be asking the portugese federation s advice on in. Either. Timme Mcm shot Down Barnes Golden moment by Enrico Jacomini Seoul. South Korea a for five very tense feverish minutes Randy Barnes could almost feel the Gold medal hanging around his neck. He had no Way of knowing that this Lime Ulf Timmerman would not choke. Timmerman the world record Holder from East Germany who never had Wona major International event used the last throw of the Long afternoon to beat bar nes for the shot put Gold at the olympics Friday. After three failures in five years Tim Merman chased away the doubters with a throw of 73 feel by inches the Best Ever in a major International event. It sailed past Barnes 73-i a made just moments before. Thai had Bee Good enough to move the Charleston w.va., native past world Champion Werner Guenthoer of Switzerland at 72 i Vij and leave him dreaming of glory "1 thought for five minutes i had wrapped it up the 53-year-old Barnes said. They were five very tense feverish minutes. I fell 1 was a Spectator and no longer a competitor in the event. I just could l do anything to protect my Gold medal  through his first five throws Barnes was having a bad Day far behind the Icadora. Then came no. 6. I Felt As if 1 had been sleepwalking throughout the Competition. 1 was a Little tense and i just could l concentrate properly and do my Best Barnes  and Ihnn suddenly 1 fell a sense of frustration. I knew it was my last Chance. I was blowing it All. 1 was throwing away months of hard  said he Shook off fears of foul ing and went All out in his last throw. Then it struck him that he could win the  said he Felt Timmermann could not match him but at the end he could Only say the East German who had led throughout the Competition had a better  was in icly impressed. Only a great competitor could have done that bar nes  has a record of out standing performances in local track meets but his history in major events since 1981 was abysmal. He never had won a Gold missing at the 1983 and 1987 world and 1986 european Champi  was the world record Holder at 75 8, but of Enthor was the favorite. Still Timmerman said his mind was on the task at hand not chances missed. I was not conditioned by my prob lems in the past Timmermann said. I knew 1 was in Good condition despite a mild bout with mumps a few weeks ago which i caught from my children and 1 had been a pm Well the whole Day. I was confident that events end with he last throw and 1 was drawn As last Man to compete in the finals so 1 knew i would have the last Opportunity. And i  said Barnes throw failed to unnerve  really can t say what 1 Felt. It is very difficult for me just to think now. It will take some Lime 0 digest this Victory. I am just a Happy Man  he said. Lufti Zeierman right gels a lift from teammate Udo Beyer after the winning shot