Athletics at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games:

The 1995 World Champion was Wilson Kipketer, a Kenyan who had changed allegiance and now competed for Denmark. But the Kenyan Olympic Committee refused to give permission for him to compete at the Olympics in 1996, thus eliminating the favorite. As Kenyans had won almost every major title since 1987, one looked to their runners, but both finalists, Fred Onyancha and David Kiptoo, were unknowns. Their Olympic Trial had been won by Philip Kibitok but he did not survive the semis. Johnny Gray (USA) was running in his fourth consecutive Olympic final and he led, as was his custom, running 24.3 and 49.6. He still led at 600 but the field was bunched. Norway’s Vebjørn Rodal kicked from 120 out and Gray faded, eventually finishing seventh. He would hold on to win the gold over the fast-closing South African, Hezekiel Sepeng.