Fresh from her controversial dramatic dive for the gold in Rio Monday night, Olympic medalist Shaunae Miller sat down with Good Morning America yesterday morning and gave some insight into what actually happened during the final 20 meters.
“Before going into the race me and my coaches sat down and discussed everything as far as what we we’re going to do and I feel I executed the plan very well.
“I got to the 300 first and when there was about 40 meters to go my legs were so heavy from going around so fast and I started to lose feeling in my legs and when I was heading towards the line and in my mind I was like I had to finish and afterward I had nothing in my legs at all and I started falling.
“I just went very hard and I just tried to hold on for dear life,” Ms. Miller said
Miller’s victory secured The Bahamas’ first medal of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
The finish sparked an all-out twitter war pitting Bahamians against Americans, whose most decorated female sprinter, Allyson Felix had to settle for second place, carrying home the silver but Miller said she was caught off guard with all of the controversy.
“I don’t let things affect me. I was reading the comments and got a few laughs from them and the memes, but at the end of the day the dive is a part of the sport, it’s been done so many times in the sport by so many people. This is Track and Field it happens,” Ms. Miller said.
Several prominent Track and Field athletes have come to Miller’s defense saying that nothing she did was illegal.
Thirteen-time World and Olympic Gold Medalist and perhaps American’s Greatest Male Sprinter Michael Johnson said Shaunae Miller’s dive was to recover from falling and all sprinters know the quickest way across the line is a well timed lean.
Olympic Gold Medalist and American sprinter David Neville who ironically won bronze in 2008 after diving at the finish line to take a medal away from Bahamian Chris Brown said Shaunae had a great run and a great dive and all the outrage is unnecessary.
As far as seeing Miller again in these Olympics it may be highly unlikely as she is an alternate for the women’s 4 x 400 relay team that is set to compete on Friday.
