Post by Taxigirl on Aug 26, 2004 10:12:24 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/athletics/3589256.stm
Greece's Fani Halkia stormed to 400m hurdles gold to send the crowd in the Olympic Stadium wild.
Halkia, who set a new Olympic record in qualifying, accelerated off the top bend and raced clear to the title.
Romania's Ionela Tirlea came through on the inside to take silver with the Ukraine's Tetiana Tereshchuk holding on for the bronze medal.
World champion Jana Pittman led with 300m gone but faded as she paid the price for her recent injury problems.
Halkia said: "I was shaking before. But it was wonderful.
"When I entered the stadium today, I could feel it in my bones I would win.
"When I came here for the first round I was feeling great, but I was thinking it was not possible to run so fast."
The 25-year-old winner knelt on the ground to kiss the track after her triumph as the crowd bayed their support.
"She did an awesome job," said Pittman. "It's a beautiful story for her to win in front of her home crowd."
Halkia's win is a redemption of sorts for the hosts after the scandal involving Kostas Kenderis and Ekaterina Thanou which blighted the start of the Games.
Greece's Fani Halkia stormed to 400m hurdles gold to send the crowd in the Olympic Stadium wild.
Halkia, who set a new Olympic record in qualifying, accelerated off the top bend and raced clear to the title.
Romania's Ionela Tirlea came through on the inside to take silver with the Ukraine's Tetiana Tereshchuk holding on for the bronze medal.
World champion Jana Pittman led with 300m gone but faded as she paid the price for her recent injury problems.
Halkia said: "I was shaking before. But it was wonderful.
"When I entered the stadium today, I could feel it in my bones I would win.
"When I came here for the first round I was feeling great, but I was thinking it was not possible to run so fast."
The 25-year-old winner knelt on the ground to kiss the track after her triumph as the crowd bayed their support.
"She did an awesome job," said Pittman. "It's a beautiful story for her to win in front of her home crowd."
Halkia's win is a redemption of sorts for the hosts after the scandal involving Kostas Kenderis and Ekaterina Thanou which blighted the start of the Games.