ATHENS, Greece — Another Olympic Games, another bronze medal for Melissa Morrison. Morrison, the former App-alachian State standout, won a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympic Games Tuesday. She finished with a time of 12.56 seconds. It’s her second bronze medal in as many games. In the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia, Morrison also finished third with a time of 12.76. Morrison’s American teammate, Joanna Hayes, won the event Tuesday with a time of 12.37 seconds. Hayes set an Olympic record in the process. Hayes screamed, raised her arms in the air and then covered her mouth in shock after crossing the finish line first. She then fell to the track before running to the stands to accept congratulations. |
The old Olympic record of 12.38 was set by Bulgaria’s Yordanka Donkova eight years ago in Atlanta.
Finishing in second place was Olena Krasovska of Russia, who finished with a time of 12.45.
Morrison, a Mooresville native and a 1993 grad at ASU with a psycology degree, finished her semifinal race on Monday with a time of 12.53 seconds. It was the third-fastest time overall.
“One more round and let it all hang loose,” Morrison said following that race.
Hayes finished with the fastest time, a 12.48. The current world champion, Perdita Felicien, of Canada won Morrison’s heat with a time of 12.49.
But in the finals, Felicien hit the first hurdle and stumbled into Russia’s Irina Shevchenko sending both sprawling to the track. Felicien walked off in disgust, then sat on the track and watched with a grimace as Hayes and Morrison took a victory lap wrapped in American flags.
“The first hurdle came up and I reached for it way too much,” said Felicien, who won the NCAA championship at Illinois. “I probably should have waited until the middle of the race to try to come back. I didn't have a great start and before I knew it I was on the ground and I could not believe it. There's no coming back from that.
“I’m devastated. I don’t think this is going to sink in. I think it’s going to take four years for it to sink in.”
The Russian Olympic Federation protested the result of the hurdles race.
Gail Devers, 37, was felled by injury before the first hurdle of the first round. The three-time hurdles world champion still has never won an Olympic medal in her signature event.
Morrison won 12 individual Southern Conference championships and was a 1993 All-American in the 100-meter hurdles. She prepped at Kannapolis Brown High.
Her coach at Appalachian State, John Weaver, said that he was very happy for his former star, who has overcome numerous knee and hamstring injuries to win her second Olympic medal.
“I take a lot of pride in that,” Weaver said of having a former runner in the Olympic Games. “The great thing about her is that she remembers her roots and what helped her get there. She has got a strong family that has been so supportive over the years to help her get where she is. I’m fortunate just to be a part of her success.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.