Mary Decker's clash with Zola Budd at the 1984 Los Angeles Games is one
of the biggest and most controversial events in Olympic history. In a
head-to-head that gripped the imagination of the world, the 3000 metres
race pitted the experienced and glamourous world champion from the host
nation against a prodigious, teenage waif from South Africa wearing a
hastily-organised British flag on her vest and, memorably, no shoes on
her feet.Disastrously, a mid-race collision saw Decker tumble to the
inside of the track after her legs tangled with Budd's as the
18-year-old overtook the American in a battle for pole position.
Distraught and unable to carry on, the tearful Decker watched in
frustration as Maricica Puica of Romania stormed to gold while Budd, who
was heavily booed by the partisan crowd in the closing stages, faded to
seventh. Using the famous Olympic moment as its focal point, Collision
Course tells the story of two of the best-known and greatest athletes of
al ltime, analyses their place in history as pioneers of women's sport,
and lifts the lid on two lives that have been filled of sporting and
political intrigue that, until now, has never been fully told.