Читать книгу Indiana University Olympians. From Leroy Samse to Lilly King онлайн

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“I stuck with it, stuck with it. And I kept my faith,” said Neville, a devout Christian. “And my faith is the only reason why I can say with assurance that I would be in Beijing.”

He was not only there. He won a bronze medal in the 400 meters, diving to the finish line to complete a 1–2-3 American sweep, and a gold in the 4×400 relay.

Neville’s epiphany came as he began specializing in the 400, a long sprint that has been characterized as the most painful race in the sport. His father, David Neville II, was convinced it would be the best race for his six-foot-three son. The father ran 800 meters in 1:48.54 for Virginia Military Institute in 1982, setting a school record that lasted twenty-six years.

The son was not as convinced, especially after his first 400. He ran that distance in a relay after a few days of training.

“It was horrible,” Neville recalled.

It was fate.

As a Merrillville senior, he set what was then an Indiana high school record of 46.99 seconds in winning the 400-meter state championship. He was fourth in the 200 in what was surely the best Indiana field ever assembled. Gary West Side’s Mark Jelks set a state record of 20.88, and South Bend La Salle’s Leroy Dixon was second. Jelks later became a national indoor champion at 60 meters and first native Hoosier to run 100 meters in less than ten seconds (9.99). Dixon won a gold medal in the 4×100 relay at the 2007 World Championships.