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2012 Olympics, Womens 400m Hurdles Results Natalya Antyukh Edges Lashinda Demus
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American hurdler Lashinda Demus won a gold medal in the 400 meter hurdles at the 2011 World Championships in South Korea, making her the prohibitive favorite to win theevent at the 2012 London Olympics. The California native wasn't quite able to live up to her potential, however, as she had to settle for silver in Wednesday's gold medal meet.
It wasn't easy to defeat Demus, though, as Russia's Natalya Antyukh was just .06 seconds away from setting a new Olympic record en route to winning the gold medal. Demus isn't done, as she told USA Today that she plans to get her gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro after talking about how much expectations weighed on her in 2012.
"I can't explain how bad I wanted the gold medal. It's something I've been dreaming about the last eight years," she said.
Demus admitted that expectations got the best of her even before the race began.
"When you've got people who want it for you as well, it's just a lot more to have on your shoulders," she said. "I just wanted to do well for my family and friends back home who supported me. I broke down crying, overwhelmed with emotion, even before I ran."
It wasn't easy to defeat Demus, though, as Russia's Natalya Antyukh was just .06 seconds away from setting a new Olympic record en route to winning the gold medal. Demus isn't done, as she told USA Today that she plans to get her gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro after talking about how much expectations weighed on her in 2012.
"I can't explain how bad I wanted the gold medal. It's something I've been dreaming about the last eight years," she said.
Demus admitted that expectations got the best of her even before the race began.
"When you've got people who want it for you as well, it's just a lot more to have on your shoulders," she said. "I just wanted to do well for my family and friends back home who supported me. I broke down crying, overwhelmed with emotion, even before I ran."