Shola Lynch’s Runner airs tonight on ESPNPosted by Wilson Morales
August 13, 2013
Tonight at 8pm on ESPN, Shola Lynch directs “Runner,” the story of long-distance runner Mary Decker. Lynch recently directed “Free Angela and All Political Prisoners” and “Imagine a Future” which aired on BET last month.
The doc is part of ESPN Films & espnW’s NINE FOR IX, which is produced by Robin Roberts & Jane Rosenthal. The series features nine documentary films about women in sports directed by female award-winning filmmakers. The series itself is inspired by the 40th anniversary of Title IX and will continue airing on Tuesdays through August 27 on ESPN at 8pm ET.
The expectations were sky high for American distance runner Mary Decker as she lined up to make her Olympic debut in the 3,000 meters at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Decker had displayed unwavering dominance in every distance (from 800 to 10,000 meters) heading into the event, and her wholesome image graced magazine covers and adorned walls all over the world. At age 25, it was her first Olympics; stress fractures in her leg kept her out of the 1976 Montreal Olympics, and the U.S. boycott prevented her from competing in the 1980 Moscow Games. The 3,000 in L.A. was to be her coronation, the gold medal that would validate her greatness. But there was another compelling figure in the race, a 19-year-old barefooted South African running for Great Britain, Zola Budd. Just past the midway point of the race, Budd crowded Decker on the inside lane and, in the panic and urgency of the moment, they collided. Decker fell to the track. Budd would regain her stride, but finish a distant seventh behind the winner, Romania’s Maricica Puica. Decker initially blamed Budd, but in later years they reconciled and tried to get past the collision. Still, Decker’s one moment of heartbreak came to define what should have been a glorious career.
Nine For IX: Clip From ‘Runner’
