In drama and accomplishment, their duel was the most stirring man-to-man competition of the Olympic Games. Drenched by rain, California's strapping Rafer Johnson, 26 (TiME cover, Aug. 29), and Formosa's wiry Vang Chuan-kwang, 27, had struggled until u p.m. on the first day of the decathlon—the exhausting, ten-event test that would decide which was the world's best all-round athlete. On the second day, after the two men had wearily completed the ninth event (the javelin), statisticians figured that Johnson led Yang by a cliffhanging 67 points.
"I hope it's all wrapped up before the 1,500 meters," Johnson had said. "I never want...
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