Gabriele Andersen-Schiess Exclusive: 'You give everything you have' - Olympian remembers dramatic 1984 marathon finish
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Updated 08/04/2023 at 10:59 GMT
The image of the stricken Gabriele Andersen-Schiess waving away medical support as she staggered into the Los Angeles Coliseum at the culmination of the women's marathon has become an enduring symbol of spirit of the Games. In the heat of a California summer, the Swiss-American refused to accept defeat and persevered to cross the finish line and complete the gruelling race.
The Power of Sport - Gabriela Andersen-Schiess and the first women's marathon
The Olympic spirit is an often invoked but difficult to define part of the legend of the Games, but few athletes better embody that spirit than Gabriele Andersen-Schiess. She has spoken to Eurosport exclusively to tell the story of that dramatic day in 1984 for the latest episode of The Power Of Sport.
August 5th, 1984 dawned relatively cool for Los Angeles in the dog days of summer and the temperature was only a moderate 68°F (20°C) when the women's Olympic marathon began. A field of 50 set off from Santa Monica College. Among them was the Swiss-American Andersen-Scheiss.
Speaking to Eurosport 39 years later Andersen-Schiess remembers her thinking.
"I was nervous, like everybody else" she says, "but I was always more worried about the heat and the humidity, so my strategy was to go out rather conservatively."
The day began to heat up as the runners snaked along the course.
"The first part wasn't so bad, because there was some trees" the then-39-year-old remembers, "the worst was when we got on the freeway because then the heat just radiates from the pavement."
Andersen-Schiess continued, but missed the final water station. It proved a crucial error as the heat reached 90°F (32°C) in the shadows of the Coliseum.
As she entered the bowels of the stadium, the Swiss-American enjoyed the temporary relief of being out of the sun but was hit by a wall of bright light as the ran out of the tunnel onto the stadium surface.
"Again in that stadium the heat just radiates in."
After having already run so far, those final metres of the race proved brutally difficult.
"I really got into trouble. Basically my legs just cramped up from lack of water. I wanted to keep going but I just lost control."
Her body twisted in pain, Andersen-Schiess staggered on towards the finish line. She wavered, clearly struggling with the immense physical challenge, but was able to wave away medical officers and other Games staff.
"I knew that if I stopped I wouldn't be able to finish."
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The Power of Sport - Gabriela Andersen-Schiess and the first women's marathon
The roar of the crowd encouraged her on, and Andersen-Schiess crossed the line in 20th place.
Her time of 2:48:45 would have won the gold in each of the first five Olympic men's marathons.
The images of Andersen-Schiess willing herself to continue and struggling across the finish line, before collapsing and being given immediate intravenous fluids, became an instant classic image of the resilience that is synonymous with the Olympics.
She failed to win gold, but instead won an enduring place in the legacy of the games.
The 1984 Summer Olympics were held in Los Angeles, California, USA. The weather during the games was mostly sunny and warm with an average temperature around 28°C (83°F). Scheduled in the summer avoid clashing with other major US sports and attract the maximum number of spectators, over 5.8 million spectators attended; a record at the time. Los Angeles' large population and strong sports culture played their role.
The 1984 games were the first held in the United States since the 1932 Summer Olympics, which were also held in Los Angeles. The 1984 Olympics were considered a success and helped to boost the popularity and financial stability of the Olympic Games.
They were the first to be organised without any financial assistance from the government, thanks to a lucrative domestic television rights deal worth $225 million, the highest amount ever paid for broadcasting rights at the time.
The Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee also adopted a new model of corporate sponsorship, which allowed companies to sponsor specific events, facilities, and services. This approach generated more than $400 million in sponsorship revenue, further contributing to the financial success of the Game and provided a blueprint for modern Olympic financing.
This model has since been replicated and expanded by subsequent Olympic host cities, paving the way for the creation of a multibillion-dollar Olympic industry.
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The Power of Sport is back this week and airs on Eurosport at 6pm on Wednesday. You can also stream the show via discovery+, the Eurosport app and eurosport.com.
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