800 metres, Women

In January 1993, Ana Fidelia Quirot was cooking with a kerosene cooker at her home when it exploded, leaving her with 3rd-degree burns over 40% of her body. She endured a long hospitalization, and 21 surgeries with multiple skin grafts to cover the burned skin. Incredibly she returned to competition in November, and recovered enough to win the 1995 World Championships. Co-favorite with her in Atlanta was Mozambique’s Maria Mutola, who had first run in the Olympics in 1988 as a 15-year-old, and placed fifth in 1992 800. Mutola had lost only one race since 1993, that the 1995 Worlds to Quirot when she was disqualified for running out of her lane before the break. Nobody was considering Russia’s Svetlana Masterkova, who had not competed in 1994 or 1995. But in the final she moved into the lead at the gun, but then slowed the pace. She continued to lead into the straight when she was challenged by Quirot. But Masterkova took off with 80 metres left and dropped her easily. Mutola never really challenged for the gold but moved up in the run-in to get a bronze medal.