Word: thompson
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...running repartee beforehand, Hingsen said Thompson's braggadocio made him think of Muhammad AH; Thompson called his rival "Hollywood Hingsen" because of his Burt Reynolds mustache and his perpetual golden tan. Hingsen predicted he would win the gold. Thompson replied, "There are only two ways he is going to bring a gold medal home; he'll have to steal mine or win another event." Thompson has added an eleventh event to the decathlon: clowning around. He came to one press conference sporting a floppy hat, then doffed it, revealing his head swathed in bandages. "All this talk...
...first event last week, Thompson powered his way to 10.44 sec. in the 100 meters, equaling his best time in a decathlon. In the long jump, roaring down the runway on his third try, he flew 26 ft. 3½ in., 8¼ in. ahead of the West German, and good enough to have placed fifth in the regular competition. The shotput should have been an event in which Hingsen trimmed Thompson's lead. Hingsen heaved his blue shot (color-coordinated with the German uniform) 52 ft. ¾ in. Not bad; better than Thompson's best, though...
...first event of Day 2, the 110-meter hurdles, Hingsen edged Thompson by .05 sec. The discus was next, and here Hingsen had to make a move if he was to stay in contention...
Winding his Rhine-wide shoulders, he hurled the platter in a high arc and hit a personal best of 166 ft. 9 in. Thompson's first two throws were stubby line drives, neither exceeding 140 ft. If he had done no better on his third try, Thompson would have slumped to second place. But he reared back and uncorked his alltime best of 152 ft. 9 in. His lead was preserved, though only 32 points now separated...
...looked like a clumsy fledgling. On his third effort he cleared it by a whisker, but that was as high as he went. Under the point system, each inch in the vault is worth about 6 points, making it a disproportionately weighted event. So with Hingsen grounded, Thompson rose for the kill. When he cleared 16 ft. 4¾ in., he delightedly executed a back flip on the pink landing pad. No points were awarded for the extracurricular flip, but Thompson landed with a cushy lead of 152 points...