Thursday August 1, 1996

                                WINNER BOLDON
                                MENDS FENCES

                                 Ato Boldon

<b><h3>ATO BOLDON could not have asked for things to go better on the eve of his
challenge for a second Olympic medal in the 200 metres at the Olympic
Stadium today.

Apart from enjoying a cake-walk into the semi-final round of the half-lap
event, the 100 metres bronze medallist "kissed and made up" with former
Olympic champion Linford Christie.

Boldon was the fastest of the 16 sprinters who moved on from the second
round, winning heat 5 in 20.25 seconds from 17-year-old Nigerian Francis
Obikwelu and Guyana's Emmaluel Tuffuor, both home in 20.49 seconds. Christie
was fourth in 20.59, failing by a hundredth of a second to advance.
However, 400 metres champion Michael Johnson, Namibia's Frankie Fredericks
and 1992 200m gold medallist Michael Marsh all cruised into the semis, the
36-year-old Briton finding no superstar company for consolation.

There had been a lot of bad blood between Boldon and Christie as a result of
comments exchanged between the two after the 1992 champion's
disqualification from the 1996 100m final. But while Boldon was preparing
for his first round 200m heat, Christie approached him.

"While I was warming up, he came up to me, hugged me and said 'Nuff
respect'. All ill feelings ended right there."

The reconciliation certainly did the Trinidadian no harm, ahead of the first
phase of "Operation Upset MJ".

Looking far more relaxed than the man who claimed 100m bronze on Saturday,
Boldon walked slowly to the starting area for Heat 3, well behind the other
six, including Barbados' Obadele Thompson, who also qualified for in today's
semis.

Everything went smoothly, save and except the announcers' introduction: "Ato
Boldon of Trinidad". Once more, Tobago was left out in the cold. But if it
affected Boldon, he did not let it show, setting a hot pace. Oblivious to
everything that was not in Lane 8, the former world junior double sprint
champion was unmoved by the oversight-unmoved, that is, until the gun
sounded.
Boldon got out quickly, was comfortably in front of the second- placed
Thompson, coming off the bend and extended that lead before looking to his
left to get a first view of the other runners. With the top spot assured, he
slowed almost to a walk, disappearing more quickly to the changing area
under the stands than he had finished the half-lap race.

His 20.26 helped pull his Caribbean colleague to a fast 20.42 clocking.
Boldon had anticipated a 21-flat run in the first round but explained to the
Express afterwards that Thompson's decision to push the pace forced a faster
race.

"There is an unstated pecking order at the Olympics, and Oba decided not to
follow it. But that's okay , I don't either."

Boldon said that he expected to run about the same time in the second round,
and was only off by a hundredth of a second. After his opening run, he had
said that his 20.26 earned him a psychological edge as well.

"It was the fastest time of the round and it felt like a 20.6".

With the reward for a first place finish in the semis being a good lane in
the final, a crucial factor in the half-lap event, a time well under 20
seconds can be expected from Boldon in his 7.25 p.m. semi.
And the likelihood is he will go even faster in the 9 p.m. final.

Boldon said that a gold medal cannot be written off. And then he added
quickly that the only thing that is not a possibility is seeing the intense,
pumped-up sprinter of Saturday.

"Obviously that does not work for me. That 100m was a most valuable lesson",
Boldon ended, "Not only for the 200 but for my entire career."

The lane assignments for heat 2, carded for 7.25 p.m.: 1. Geir Moen (Nor) ,
2. Obadele Thompson (Bar) 3. Michael Marsh (USA) 4. Ato Boldon (T&T) 5.
Frankie Fredericks (Nam) 6. Kofi Ito (Jpn) 7. Steve Drimacombe (Aus) 8.
Sergeif Infakovf (Lat)</h3></b>