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For the Canadians, the 100 meter race was marked
by disappointment. Three Toronto women- Myrtle
Cook, Ethel Smith and Rosenfeld- had made it to the
finals. But after two false starts disqualified
Cook, Rosenfeld and Smith watched as their teammate
collapsed on the sideline in tears. Tension grew
after another false start disqualified a German
runner. Finally the gun went off and the race was
on.
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With Rosenfeld and Smith starting cautious after
all the confusion, Elizabeth Robinson of the United
States pushed out in front. Then, as one
sportswriter put it, Rosenfeld, "whose courage has
never been questioned, rallied strongly and raced
down the stretch probably faster than any woman
ever traveled in this world." She crossed the tape
so close to Robinson that the judges were uncertain
who had placed first.
In the end, Robinson was awarded the gold, but
coach Alexandrine Gibb wasn't alone in her opinion
that, "Bobbie Rosenfeld won." She wrote, "The five
judges at the finish were each picking one
position. And both the judge who picked first and
the judge who picked second chose Betty Robinson,
of the United States. Ethel Smith was undoubtedly
third. Then where was Bobbie Rosenfeld? In my
opinion and that of a number of others at the
finish, she either won or it was a dead heat."
Unfortunately for Rosenfeld, a silver medal would
have to do.
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