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Fiona May had maintained an enviable record in international competition
since she had first competed for Italy in 1994. As a European, May had
the opportunity each year to compete in one of the world's three major
athletic contests, the European Championships, World Championships, and
Olympic Games. In each of her seven opportunities between 1994 and
2000, May had won medals on all seven occasions, a record which she
would once more attempt to maintain.
Fiona had a relatively average
start to 2001 when she finished fourth at the World Indoor Championships
at Lisbon on 10 March. She also had somewhat of an indifferent start
to the outdoor season, and her best performance prior to the World
Championships in Edmonton was 6.79m, which she achieved at Formia on 14
July. However, at Edmonton, May again reconfirmed her ability to rise
to the big occasions, by leading the qualifying round on 5 August with
her best jump for the season to that point of 6.80m. In the final, held
two days later, May (see photo above) immediately took control
when she led at the end of round one after jumping 6.86m on her first
attempt. She increased her lead with her season's best of 6.97m on her
next attempt, before recording a wind-assisted jump of 7.02m in round
three.
Tatyana Kotova (Russia) came closest to that mark with her round
four effort of 7.01m, but it was not close enough to deny May her
second world title, and her fourth medal in long jump competition at the
World Championships, equalling the record established by Heike
Drechsler (Germany) in 1993. The ecstatic gold medallist immediately
announced that she intended to take a year's break from competition, to
spend some time with her family, and maybe try to have a baby. (Ron Casey)
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