BEIJING–In a field of such talent and such depth, things would have to unfold almost perfectly for Canada's Gary Reed to make it to the Olympic 800-metre medal podium.
They didn't.
He didn't.
And the Victoria runner leaves the Games not at all angry at the circumstances of his result.
"I enjoyed the whole process, it was a good time," said the 26-year-old Reed. "It was special to compete in that kind of field with that kind of class and that kind of depth. It was sensational for me.
"I don't have any excuses, I got fourth. I mean, those guys beat me, they ran good, I ran an okay race. I came fourth. I have to be happy with the whole process, fourth at the Olympics."
"Those guys" were gold medallist Wilfred Bungei of Kenya, clocking a season-best 1:44.65; silver medallist Ismail Ahmed Ismail of Sudan, who ran 1:44.70, and Kenya's Alfred Yego, who won the bronze in 1:44.82.
Reed's 1:44.94 was, as he said, a good race, not a great one when great was required.
"I was a little bit shocked that I wasn't moving as fluid as I wanted to be moving," he said. "I tried to stay in it more and it just didn't turn out for me. I'm just physically exhausted, mentally exhausted."
The physical exhaustion is understandable, three rounds of the 800 over three days in the cauldron of the most-watched track meet of a four-year period. The mental exhaustion comes from the grind of getting ready for such an event.
"It's the whole process," he said. "So strict, so disciplined for so long. It's the nerves and stress and everything. It tends to break you down after a while."
Known for his powerful kick, the 5-foot-9, 145-pound Reed couldn't find a way to use it in front of about 91,000 fans at the Bird's Nest. He got nestled in on the rail and when it was time to go, there was no place to run.
"I didn't run the smartest race in the world," he said. "It was a tough race. I got in a little bit of trouble in the corner coming home and those guys were gone and I just couldn't make up the ground, it was too late.
"It was too wide to go outside and I was stuck inside and couldn't make my move.
"I don't know if I would have caught them anyway."
One of the more frustrating things was that Reed thought he was more ready to run that he actually was.
"My mind felt better than my body responded to," he said. "Initially in warmup I felt pretty decent, when I got out there my body was just a little bit tired. That's life, that's the 800, fourth at the Olympics still ain't bad."
Canada's sum total of medals in track and field at Beijing was one – Priscilla Lopes-Schliep winning bronze in the women's 100-metre hurdles – but it was good enough to be the country's best showing since two golds won in 1996.
"This is the best Olympics since 1996 obviously, although in '96, only the medals were successful.
The depth of the team percentage-wise was a lot lower," said Canada's head coach, Les Gramantik.
Besides Reed, there were several other encouraging performances for the Canadians:
Dylan Armstrong missing bronze in men's shot put by just a centimetre.
Jessica Zelinka fifth in the women's heptathlon.
Canada's men's 4x100 relay team, in its first trip to a final since 1996, was sixth.
Also making finals were Jim Steacy (hammer throw) Pickering's Tabia Charles (long jump) and Megan Metcalfe (5,000 metres).
Two of Canada's best bets for medals failed to get a shot: Perdita Felicien bowed out before the Games with a foot injury and 400-metre champion Tyler Christopher didn't qualify for the Olympic final.
With files from The Canadian Press
