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In 1997, after a low-key domestic season, and some early season
competition in South Africa, Cathy Freeman settled temporarily in the
USA to prepare for the World Championships in Athens in August.
Starting her European campaign in June, Freeman proved to the world in
Oslo on 4 July that she was well prepared for Athens. In the absence of
any of the main rivals who she would meet in Athens, Freeman, running
virtually solo, recorded the year's fastest time of 49.39sec.
In
Athens, the two semi-finals were won by Jearl Miles-Clark (USA) and
Sandie Richards from Jamaica. Cathy's third place finish in her
semi-final meant that she did not get allocated one of the centre four
lanes in the final, which were reserved for the first two finishers in
each semi-final. Having to rely on a draw for lanes, Freeman drew lane
one, which, with its tight bends, did not suit her long-striding style.
Probably as a consequence, Freeman started cautiously in the final, and
was only 7th at the 200m mark. From there, she commenced a sustained
surge through the final bend, hit the lead soon after entering the
straight, and sprinted away to win in 49.77sec, just in front of the
fast finishing Richards (49.79sec), with Miles-Clark (49.90secs) a metre
behind.
Following this success, 1998 started brightly for Cathy, when
she was named 1997 Australian of the Year in January. After winning the
400m at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene in 50.02sec, she headed to
Europe to prepare for the Commonwealth Games to be held in September.
However, in an early season meet in Oslo, she sustained a debilitating
injury to her left foot, which curtailed the rest of her 1998 season. (Ron Casey)
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