Given a brief cinema release a few weeks ago, this documentary has already been shown on Sky Atlantic. Still available on catch-up, and sure to be in rotation in the channels’ schedule for a while yet, it is worth catching.
It tells the story of Zola Budd’s rapid British citizenship prior to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics in parallel with Mary Decker’s rise to stardom and the pressures on her leading up to her home Olympics. For those of us old enough to remember the times, there is little new or in-depth told about Budd’s story, which is a shame. For non-American audiences, Decker’s story is less familiar and therefore more interesting. Unlikable at the time, archive footage did little to change my mind about her, especially the scenes of her petulantly pulling out of a race. The best I can say about her is that her bitter Mother is much worse!
The fateful final and that trip and fall are covered in-depth but the climatic moment of the film is the reuniting of the two at the Olympic stadium. It was a great idea and the awkward meeting is as you would expect. Interestingly I have heard the pair interviewed together promoting the film and there does seem to be a friendship growing that the film doesn’t really hint at.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10