Athletics - Daniel Lane
The Sun-Herald. June 13^th, 2010

TEN years ago the talented young athletes who took results to the world's media during the Sydney Olympics were ordered into an office and berated for neglecting their duty as they celebrated Cathy Freeman's historic victory in the 400m.
Among them was Fabrice Lapierre - the high-flying long jumper taking

the athletics world by storm. He wasn't overly bothered by the threats to be stripped of his volunteer's uniform because the then 16-year-old was walking on air.

Apart from being swept up in the Freeman euphoria he'd also met his idol, the US long jump superstar Michael Powell, who set what remains one of sport's most daunting milestones when he "flew" 8.95m in 1991.

"I was so nervous when I met Mike Powell I couldn't ask him anything," said Lapierre who competes today in New York. "I was jumping seven metres at the time and did well to stand still for the photo I had taken with him. I still watch his duel with Carl Lewis at the world athletics championships [in 1991] when they both broke the record Bob Beamon set at the Mexico Olympics in 1968.
"Sydney was the beginning of the Olympic dream for me. It was a magical time."

Lapierre's rapid progress from volunteer to world indoor champion suggests he's well on track to breaking his hero's record.
This year he jumped a wind-assisted 8.78m at the national championships in Perth and won the world indoor title in March. In the lucrative Diamond League meet in Shanghai last month he defeated America's world champion Dwight Phillips and on Friday morning he came a creditable third in Rome.

"I've been getting better over the last few years and everything is falling into place," he said. "I'm building up to next year's world championships [then] the London Olympics. My improvement is from constantly working on my technique with my coach; how to run better and to hit the board. The little technical stuff counts."

His victory over Phillips in China not only boosted his confidence boost but also helped prove a point.
"I wanted to win to prove everything I've done so far this season wasn't a fluke," Lapierre said. "The conditions were pretty bad because there was a strong headwind which made it even tougher for me because I'm one of the lighter blokes out there.
"It was special to beat Dwight because he's won [three] world championships and the [2004] Olympics. He's been there and done it all. To defeat him helped build my confidence."

Lapierre, however, said he would be looking to improving on his third place in Rome. There, Lapierre said, "I wasn't worried about what anyone else was jumping. I kind of got going in the last couple of rounds but I just didn't hit the board right so it didn't work out."

One person who has monitored Lapierre's progress is hurdler Hayley Butler, who will represent Australia at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games. She was among the group that was lectured 10 years ago for putting the Freeman race ahead of getting the results to the media.

"I was thinking of how I got Michael Powell to sign my shirt at Sydney and it hit me after watching Fabrice jump the other night that he's now up there with him," she said.

Lapierre and Butler will attend the relighting of the cauldron in the Olympic precinct on September 15 and compete later that night at the Competitive Edge All Stars Challenge at the Sydney Athletic Centre.
"It'll be a special night. I'm coming back from the European season to compete and I'm really looking forward to being there," Lapierre said. "It should bring back some great memories."