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In the melancholy absence of Czechoslovak 400 and 800 World Record Holder Jarmila Kratochvilova, 33, the mortal women of the 800 all brought a reasonable hope to the start. But Eastern Europe turned out to be well represented after all by Rumanian Doina Melinte and an associate-American Kim Gallagher might say, an accomplice-Fita Lovin. At about the 600-meter station, Gallagher heard them conversing ("I thought that was strange"), and her ears burned. Just as Gallagher, 20, was about to unleash a figurative kick, she absorbed a literal one in the heel, broke stride and ended up finishing a slightly indignant second to Melinte, who denied any conspiracy. "I still feel good," Gallagher confessed. "Starting in the Olympics is a thrill, but finishing in them is a relief."
Edwin Moses knows the feeling. For seven years, 105 victories, 90 of them finals, Moses has maintained complete custody of the 400-meter hurdles he gained title to unexpectedly at the Montreal Games. Streaks always include a burden, but by some quality of grace, dignity most likely, Moses has run the course and won the crowd. Carl's entrances into the Coliseum may have been slightly louder, but Edwin's were appreciably wanner. Moses is no less a capitalist, though he hands out surprisingly precise figures ($457,000 earned last year, maybe double that sum now), along with agreeably straight talk. "Amateur athletics is just a play on words. No one can run hurdles as fast as I can. No one can run the 100 as fast as Carl Lewis. We're the professionals in our fields."
He is better at describing pressure than demonstrating it. "I do feel it," he said, "probably more than anyone else. It's like going to your execution 14 times a year." But the reflection is better in Wife Myrella's eyes. She hurdled a few barriers of her own to get to him on the track afterward. "For four years," she said simply, making it sound profound, "all you think of is the Olympics." Together they wept. The last man to defeat Moses, West German Harald Schmid, admitted the night before the race that he aspired only to the silver. Behind American Danny Harris, who accidentally interfered with him, Schmid fell one slot short. "I wasn't sure I could win any medal," the West German shrugged. "I saw the American trials." Despite nine consecutive losses to Moses, he will try again. "The chance is always there. I don't think I'll ever give it up." At the same time, Moses denied that he will quit soon. But he did not say, as he likes to say, "When I beat a guy who is 18,1 feel 18." He felt good and 28.