This was going to be the time Suzy Favor Hamilton finally shook the notion that she was a perpetual underachiever.
She was the greatest woman track athlete in Big Ten history, yet one who never had made a final in three appearances at the world championships and two appearances at the Olympics. At 32, she had come to be known as the Anna Kournikova of track, rewarded more for her good looks than good results.
Hamilton made it to Saturday’s 1,500-meter final. She was the fastest woman in the world this year. She was in the lead heading toward the final straightaway
But she finished at a walk after collapsing to the track with 70 meters to go. A few seconds later, she collapsed again. Hamilton eventually was taken off the track in a wheelchair, with her head hanging in a way that made her seem unconscious.
She was treated for dehydration and eventually walked out of the Olympic Stadium with her husband, Mark.
They flew back to the United States on Sunday morning.
“Maybe it was a mixture of the fall, disappointment and shock all at once,” said eighth-place finisher Marla Runyan of Eugene, Ore., who stayed with Hamilton until medical help arrived.
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Runyan is the first legally blind athlete ever to represent the United States in an Olympics. With 20/300 vision in one eye and 20/400 in the other, she passed Hamilton without knowing it was her teammate who had fallen.
“I didn’t know who fell and I didn’t know who was lying there [after the finish],” Runyan said. “When I saw her lying there, I went over and asked what happened. She was conscious but she didn’t answer.”
It all was so sudden and dramatic.
With 130 meters to go, Hamilton was leading. Then she began to drop back and stagger. After a few more strides, her arms began flailing, her right leg folded and she fell hard on her left shoulder, with part of her body draped over the rail that separates the track from the infield.
“No visible contact caused her fall,” said a statement from USA Track and Field, “and at the moment, it appears the fall was not injury-related.”
The surprise was that an obviously disoriented Hamilton got up and resumed running as best she could before walking the final few meters. She finished just behind Hayley Tullett of Great Britain, who had fallen during the next-to-last lap, nearly tripping favorite Gabriela Szabo of Romania.
Nouria Merah-Benida of Algeria won in 4 minutes 5.10 seconds, the slowest winning time in a women’s Olympic 1,500 since 1976.
Violeta Szekely of Romania was second in 4:05.15 and Szabo third in 4:05.27. Hamilton, who ran 3:57:40 in late July, finished in 4:23.05.
“I’m disappointed that nobody wanted to run,” said Runyan, who tried to force the pace after one lap. “They all wanted to run 600 or 800 meters, not 1,500. I wanted it to be a real race.”
Kelly Holmes of Britain, who finished seventh, was disconcerted by running with Runyan because of her disability.
“I’m worried about her being in the race right from the start,” Holmes said. “You know it’s a problem.”
Szabo’s reaction to being asked about any potential problem from Runyan’s presence was much different. When it was explained to her that Runyan was blind, Szabo put her hand to her mouth in surprise.
“I didn’t know,” said Szabo’s husband and coach, Zsolt Gyongyossy. “I congratulate her.”