YDNEY - Derartu Tulu, the 1992 Olympic champion at 10,000 meters, regained her title in 30 minutes 17.49 seconds, an Olympic record. Tulu, a black Ethiopian, is probably best remembered for taking a symbolic hand-in-hand victory lap with white South African Elana Meyer, the first South African female medalist since her country was allowed back into the Games after being banned in 1960 for its apartheid policies.
In this race, Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain led much of the way, setting a fast pace from the start and stringing a tight pack of Tulu, countrywoman Gete Wami, Fernanda Ribeiro of Portugal, and Tegla Loroupe of Kenya behind her.
''The first 5 kilometers were terrible because the first lady was leading very fast,'' said Tulu.
Just before 8 kilometers, Wami and Tulu passed Radcliffe, who had been laboring. The group stayed together, though, until Loroupe was dropped with 550 meters to go. At the bell, Tulu and Wami took off, and Tulu ran the last lap in 60.2 seconds to sprint clear of Wami (30:22.48) for the gold. Ribeiro (30:22.88), the 1996 champion, had to settle for bronze, while workhorse Radcliffe faded to fourth.
Amazingly, Loroupe finished fifth in 30:37.26 after coming in 13th in the marathon last Sunday. ''What she did is incredible,'' said Meyer.
Former Colorado State star Libbie Hickman finished 16th, hindered by a stomach cramp that developed in her first lap. Hickman has what she calls ''an iron gut,'' and figures the cramp came from eating a different kind of granola bar the day of the race.
''The first cramp of my life,'' said the 35-year-old Hickman, who finished first in the event in last year's national championships. ''People have always asked me, `What do you do when you get a cramp?' so I guess now I can tell them. You have to stretch - but, hey, you can't stretch when you're in the middle of a race.''
Disappointed by the initial slow pace, Hickman pulled out of the pack and took a momentary lead. On a different day, she might have held it, but the combination of the cramp and awkward pace added up to a disappointing 31:56.94.
''When I am racing, and I am on, I'm a different person,'' she said. ''Six miles is a long way to go when you aren't feeling you're right on form.''
The abdominal pain subsided after the race; Hickman pointed to her head when asked what still hurt after the race.
''When you're out of the race,'' she said, ''you're out of the race. The worst thing in the world is not to feel your best in your event.''
Bahamians cruise
It was an emotional night for the Bahamians. In the women's 4x100-meter relay, their team beat Jamaica and the United States, the first gold medal in track and field for the tiny island nation off the coast of Florida. Later, the men's 4x400 relay team was in second place with one leg to go, running behind Michael Johnson and the US team. Several members of the Bahamian team cheered in the athletes' holding area underneath the stadium as they watched the race unfold on closed-circuit TV. ''Yes, yes, we've got it,'' they yelled as Carl Oliver handed the baton to Christopher Brown for the last leg. Brown maintained that spot into the stretch run, but as he strained to keep his lead, Enefiok Udo-Obong of Nigeria (second in 2:58.68) and Danny McFarlane of Jamaica (third, 2:58.78) passed him at the finish. The Bahamians' time was 2:59.23, .55 of a second away from a bronze. Brown was consoled by his teammates after the race, to no avail ... Michael Hazel, who anchored the Australians' 4x400 team that finished eighth, had this to say about Johnson's glowing performance: ''I don't know what looked better, him or his shoes. I'll have to sleep on that one.''
Worth the wait
Norway's Trine Hattestad added an Olympic gold medal to her extensive collection of women's javelin honors - but it took a long haul of five Games to get there.
The 34-year-old mother of two has taken part in every Summer Games since Los Angeles in 1984 but an Olympic gold had been practically the only prize to elude her.
Hattestad put that right with her first throw in the final of 68.91 meters, an Olympic record.
''I thought it was a good one and I would have to throw far to beat it,'' said Hattestad.
She couldn't beat it and she didn't have to.
Mirella Maniani-Tzelili of Greece was next best, taking silver with a throw of 67.51 meters, ahead of Osleidys Menendez of Cuba who recorded a throw of 66.18.
Kevin Paul Dupont of the Globe Staff contributed to this report.
