It was in 1992, at the finals of the 100 X 4 metres relay race of the Barcelona Olympic Games in Spain.
The Nigerian female quartet ran the last 50 metres of the race at such a blistering pace that no one in the 54,000 capacity Montjuic Stadium knew for sure which country came third, including the girls themselves. It was that close, between Nigeria and France.
In the end, slow-motion, photo-finish replays confirmed that the Nigerian girls breasted the finish line just ahead of their French rivals with less than a hair’s breadth separating them. Although Nigeria came third and won the Bronze medal, the filled terraces rose in unison to applaud the Nigerian girls as they ‘flew’ around the track in exuberant and ecstatic celebration. The manner of their abundant celebration defined the true spirit of ‘winning’.
The quartet of Beatrice Utondu, Faith Idehen, Christy Opara-Thompson and Mary Onyali at Barcelona 1992 Olympics
In 2005, CNN chose the pictures of the celebrating…
Source: Complete Sports
