Yorkshire Pud wrote:
Watching the footage, I fail to see how anyone could hold Budd at fault for Slaney's falling down. It is incumbent upon the runner in the rear position to watch where they're going. The runner in front does not have eyes in the back of their head.
Had Budd egregiously cut Slaney off in an overly aggressive maneuver, I could see blaming Budd. This situation was nothing of that sort.
I remember how Budd was vilified after this race and painted as the evil, barefoot saboteur. Judging by the footage, Slaney had only herself to blame. Tough break, but that's the way it goes. Don't point fingers at someone else!
I only read the first page of this thread, admittedly, but after searching for more footage of the race, I actually have to disagree with this.
I agree that Slaney comes off as...well, as a terribly bitter human being in that interview. Perhaps she is, I've never met her. But if you watch what happens just before the turn, Slaney is in the lead, with Budd making a pass on the outside of lane 1 heading into the straightaway. As the turn is being passed through, Budd, who is still passing and definitely not yet a full stride length ahead of Slaney, comes off the turn having already begun to crowd Slaney by sliding towards the inside of the first lane. If you are passing into another runner's position, especially if it is on the inside lane, it is up to you to cleanly pass. It is not up to the other runner to slow down and allow you to pass in front of them, giving up that inside lane.
Bud was trying to TAKE the inside lane and leader's position from Slaney, not the other way around. Slaney was not trying to move into Budd's position from behind (as everyone seems to be implying). Rather, Budd was trying to move into Slaney's position from what was essentially her side (Budd's torso may have been ahead of Slaney's, but her back kick certainly wasn't). There was not enough room for them both in that inside space as Budd was continuing her pass after the turn, and unless one of them yielded, someone was going to fall. I wouldn't expect the inside lane leader in the race up to that point (Slaney), to be the one to do this.
I don't think Budd intentionally tried to trip up Decker at all, but she also wasn't making anything that resembled a clean pass. As I think Marty Liquori suggested during the telecast, Budd, who was running barefoot, was relatively inexperienced on the track. The incident could very well have turned out the other way, with Budd getting the worst of Slaney's foot coming down to the track. That wasn't a tactical move so much as a really dangerous mistake on Budd's part...at least that is the way that it looked to me.
Slow Mo of incident starts @ 5:02:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JziXi_NS3YY