August 4, 1996
The King . . . and Clara Hughes
By CHRIS STENVENSON -- Team Sun
BUCKHEAD, Ga. -- When the new queen of Canadian cycling saw The King at the finish line, she knew she had given it all up in the women's individual time trial.
Ladies and gentlemen, Clara Hughes has left the Olympics ... with two bronze medals.
"I have a friend who says she sees Elvis when she's in that zone," said Hughes, who also won bronze in the women's road race two weeks ago.
SAW ELVIS
"I saw him (yesterday). He was like, `Thank you, thank you very much.' "
Hughes became Canada's fourth multiple medallist at the Atlanta Games (sprinter Donovan Bailey became the fifth later on), finishing behind unheralded Russian Zulfiya Zabirova and French legend Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli on a sizzling Georgia afternoon.
Zabirova's winning time was 36 minutes 40 seconds, a stunning 20 seconds ahead of Longo, and 33 seconds ahead of Hughes.
When it was over, the 23-year-old Hughes climbed on to the podium that minutes earlier had been occupied by superstar Spaniard Miguel Indurain, winner of the men's time trial.
Now, Hughes is ready to take her place among the sport's stars.
"It's just a nice feeling of satisfaction knowing I came to the Olympics and did the best I can," said Hughes, formerly of Winnipeg and now based in Hamilton.
"It's incredible to have two medals to represent my efforts.
"In 20 or 30 years, I'll be able to look at them and know I did everything I could."
The individual time trial sees 25 riders sent out in 90-second intervals.
It's a race against the clock with each rider covering two laps, a total of 26.1 km through the streets of this affluent Atlanta suburb.
There is nothing but the rider, her bike, the clock and the relentless demand to push harder and harder.
Hughes, who went out second to last -- Longo-Ciprelli went last -- rode an incredible first quarter.
Hughes was five seconds better than Zabirova at the 13-km mark.
But she couldn't maintain the pace, despite a boost climbing one hill from a young man brandishing a Canadian flag who ran beside her screaming, "C'mon Clara, C'mon Clara."
Didn't she find that distracting?
"No. I thought to myself, `If this guy is running up the hill at the same pace, I had better go faster," she said.
Unlike other riders, Hughes prefers not to know where she stands in the race.
She pedals in solitude, willing herself into the zone where Elvis Presley and medal hopes live.
Hughes also refuses to take water with her, figuring the time it takes to sneak a sip detracts from her performance.
Besides, the little water she could get wouldn't do much to ward off the dehydration that is inevitable.
RIDERS DEHYDRATED
"The heat? It was hot," she said. "Everybody was dehydrated.
"They all were seeing Elvis or whatever it is they see out there."
Hughes races for the Saturn team and figures the financial support she gets from team racing should enable her to look ahead to Sydney and the 2000 Games.
"I'm very motivated," she said. "I'm going to give myself another four years."
