Moses had won 89 finals in row before LA, and was a prohibitive
favourite. He was fastest in the first round with 49.33, 0.01 quicker
than Schmid, with all six heat winners breaking 50 seconds. Moses was
again fastest in the semi-finals, this time with 48.51 while teammates
Hawkins (48.94), and Harris, winner of the other semi-final in 48.92,
were the next fastest.
After a rare false start by Moses the field was away at the second
time of asking, and Moses was 4m clear of Schmid by the fifth hurdle
(21.1 versus 21.6). The former champion was never in any danger as
he won by 3m from Harris. The 18 year-old surged past Schmid after
the ninth hurdle after he had accidentally caught the German with his
right arm one hurdle earlier.
Three years later, at the World Championships, the order of the first
five was the same in the best race of the decade, with Moses running
47.46 and the next two finishing just 0.02 behind him. It was in that
year that Moses lost to Harris, after 107 consecutive wins since 1977.
With his Los Angeles win Moses became the only man to regain an
Olympic 400m hurdles title.
United States
West Germany
Sweden
Senegal
Belgium
Nigeria
Kenya
Bahamas
Brazil
Jamaica
Switzerland
Japan
Austria
France
Egypt
Great Britain
Greece
Venezuela
Ivory Coast
Uganda
Seychelles
Paraguay
Bahrain
Canada
Cameroon
Mozambique
UA Emirates
Kuwait
Spain
