Sally McLellan: 'It's Just so Exciting for Me'

100-meter hurdler Sally McLellan of Australia says her silver medal win at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics was more than she could have ever expected.

 

The 21-year-old from Queensland is the first Australian woman to make it to the Olympic 100-meter hurdles final since Glynis Nunn in 1984.

The spotlight was on McLellan to bring home a medal after reigning 400-meter hurdles champion Jana Rawlinson pulled out of the Beijing Games with a toe injury.

 

Australia's Sally McLellan surprisingly won a silver medal in the women's 100 metres hurdles at the Beijing Olympics.

Sally McLellan just edged out Priscilla Lopes-Schliep of Canada for the Silver Medal at Beijing as they both finished with a time of 12.64 seconds. Officials reviewed the photo finish to award McLellan the silver medal in the Women's 100-meter hurdles. American Dawn Harper won the Gold with a time of 12.54 seconds. American Lolo Jones, the favorite in the 100 meter hurdles, was clearly in the lead until she stumbled over the 9th out of 10 hurdles and finished out of contention.

Sally's pure joy and refreshing celebration at the end of the 100 meter hurdle finals with bronze medalist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep of Canada has touched many throughout the world. In Australia, she has become the darling of the country and achieved instant celebrity status.

McLellan burst out of the blocks and was off to a blistering start. She held on in the final meters narrowly winning the silver medal.

Sally McLellan on Winning the Silver Medal at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics

Q: Tell me about your 100-Meter Hurdles race and winning the silver medal?

I don’t think you could put it into words that’s why I was just screaming at the end of the race when I saw it come on the screen, I couldn’t say anything because I was just excited.

This was like a dream come true and it’s more than I could have ever expected and it’s happened whilst I’m still so young, it’s just so exciting for me.

Q: What are your feeling?

So much -- my mums just done everything for me really, my coach has done all the programming.

It’s just been so much work, so much stress, so much expectation, so much emotion, which just all boils up into one and just exploded when I got out those blocks which was just an amazing feeling, when I crossed the line it was just a relief to finish but excitement to get the medal.

Q: Did you think you would get a medal here?

I didn’t feel it, I said to the medias that I jut wanted to make the final and that anything else was a bonus, but I always had it in my mind that I wanted a medal.

I walked out into the stadium more pumped than I have ever been in my whole entire athletics career, it just worked for me last night. I got it right on the night.

Q: You were involved in the launch of the team competition uniforms back in Australian in April - how has all the team liked the gear?

I think I was the most excited Athletics athlete here, I was sitting on the adidas bus waiting to get our uniforms and I couldn’t stop jumping up and down. I couldn’t wait to try it on and couldn’t wait to get it and know that it was mine and that no one can take it off me and no one can take away an Olympian.

Q: How does it feel to win an Olympic medal at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics?

It doesn’t feel like an Olympic medal yet.

It’s just something that feels fake and I just can’t believe I have got it around my neck and it’s never going to go away really. Its just always going to be there I’m always going to be in the books as an Olympic medalist.

Its so good for Australia and it so good for my confidence knowing that I can do this and that I have something that’s mine and no one can take it away.

 

 

2008 Beijing Summer Olympics
100-Meter Hurdles Silver Medalist Sally McLellan of Australia:
'It's Just so Exciting for Me' at 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics