TRACK & FIELD
Unforgettable Finale
Meyer duly lined up in the final on the evening of the seventh , with the throng of Team South Africa members in the stadium to support her already on a sporting high thanks to the tennis medal earlier that day , and with millions of South Africans glued to their televisions sets back home . Brit Liz McGolgan was considered one of the favourites , having won the 1991 World Champs title as well as the silver medal at the 1988 Games in Seoul , South Korea , and she duly took the lead from the gun , with Meyer tucking just behind her .
The historic flag will now live in the museum in Barcelona
The Brit led for 16 laps , but could not respond when Meyer surged into the lead with nine laps to go . The only athlete that could go with the South African was Tulu , who now sat just behind Meyer as the laps counted down . They stayed like that until the bell , when Tulu made the same move as in the heat , and Meyer didn ’ t have the speed to go with her . Tulu ran a 67-second final lap , while Meyer posted another 73 , and that saw Tulu claim the gold in 31:06.02 , while Meyer came home to take the silver in 31:11.75 . In a repeat of the second heat ’ s top three positions , Jennings claimed the bronze medal in 31:19.89 .
Tulu ’ s win made her the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal , and Meyer ’ s silver medal was South Africa ’ s first athletics medal at the Olympics in 32 years . However , what has stuck in the memory is the symbolism of the two African athletes – one black , one white – embracing and then doing a victory lap around the track , draped in the flags representing their countries , hand-in-hand as they celebrated their historic performance . And back home in both their countries , millions of people celebrated with them .
“ The embrace after the race and the victory lap together was a spontaneous gesture . I was always taught to persevere in life and came to give my best effort . That time I did not win , I was beaten by the better athlete on that day , but for me being able to participate and win a medal was already a great achievement . Now looking back , I realise the race was not 25 laps – it was the 26th lap that really had an impact ,” says Meyer .
Friends Reunited
Thirty years after that epic 10,000m , and the highly symbolic victory lap they ran together , Tulu and Meyer met again in Barcelona . For Derartu , it was her first time back in the Spanish city , so it was especially emotional , and her excitement when returning to the Olympic Stadium was palpable , with a little cry of joy as she embraced Meyer when they made their entrance together .
Elana Meyer signs the neutral flag she carried during the victory lap in 1992
“ Being the first female black African athlete to win a gold medal was very important , and the most important aspect after the race was friendship . In Ethiopia , every time people mention the Barcelona 1992 final , they also mention Elana – it was a symbol of unity ,” she says .
Today , both women are still very much involved in athletics . Tulu is the President of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation , which enjoyed exceptional results this year at both the Indoor and Outdoor World Championships . At the Indoor Champs in Belgrade , Serbia in February , Ethiopia finished top of the medals table , with four gold , three silver and two bronze medals , including the wins in the women ’ s 1500m and 3000m races . At the outdoor champs in Eugene in the USA , Ethiopia finished second on the final medals table with four gold , foul silver and two bronze medals , including Letesenbet Gidey winning the women ’ s 10,000m .
Tulu is justifiably proud of her country ’ s athletic achievements , and says she is pleased to have played a role in that . “ After retiring , I shared my experience with many athletes . Even if my own children do not run , I ’ ve inspired many Ethiopian women to be athletes , Olympians and World Champions . Having been an elite athlete myself allows me to find the right words to speak to and motivate the current athletes ,” she says .
Similarly , Meyer is also involved in the development of promising young athletes in South Africa , primarily through her own endurance academy , Endurocad , based in Stellenbosch . “ Endurocad aims to utilise sport and its values for development , not only in sport , but also for personal development and academic development . I feel my role in life is to influence in a positive way .” Meyer is also an ambassador for the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon , which is now a candidate race to become the seventh in the Abbott World Marathon Majors series of Big City races in the next two years , alongside the London , New York , Berlin , Tokyo , Chicago and Paris marathons .
Golden Memories
As part of their reunion in Barcelona , Tulu and Meyer were given a private tour of the Museu Olimpic Joan Antoni Samaranch ( Olympic museum ) and attended a press conference held in their honour . They then returned to the stadium where their famous race took place , and were photographed on the original 1992 podium that they shared .
Meyer had brought along the same neutral flag that she carried in that famous ‘ 26th lap ’ – as part of the transition to a full democracy , the country ’ s old flag had been discarded due to its association with the apartheid era , but a new SA flag had not yet been designed , so the SA Team in Barcelona run under a neutral flag . The South African now presented the flag to the Director of the Olympic Museum , Francesc Terrón , so that it can be displayed in the museum .
Both athletes signed the flag , and Elana wrote on it : The symbol of the power of the values of Olympics ! Friendship , Peace , Perseverance . Those moments of deep friendship , of building bridges and spontaneous connection through sport , were on show in Barcelona in 2022 , just as they were in 1992 .
Historic Final
Relive the highlights of that incredible night in Barcelona , when Derartu Tulu and Elana Meyer made history by finishing first and second in the women ’ s Olympic 10,000m final .
63