Gail Devers

Paris: Gail Devers has defied a life-threatening disease and the ravages of time to pursue the one title that has eluded her in five Olympics.

At 37, the American’s desire for an Olympic 100m hurdles gold medal is undimmed.

She has won two Olympic golds in the 100m during the same period — but the hurdles title has stubbornly eluded her. In 1988, she failed to make it through the heats. In 1992, she led the final until hitting the final hurdle and eventually came fifth and in 1996, she finished fourth.

Four years ago in Sydney, Devers finally thought her time had come. But after blazing to victory in her heat with a time of 12.62 seconds and easing through the next round she aggravated a hamstring pull in the semi-final and failed to finish.

After winning her speciality event at the US trials last month, Devers played down the importance of the one title missing from her collection.

“I’m very happy that I’ve made my fifth Olympics,” she said. “It’s not about winning that elusive medal. It’s about going and having fun.”

The world discovered the remarkable story of Devers’ life when she burst on to the international scene at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

She was diagnosed with graves’ disease, a debilitating thyroid condition, in 1990. Having been told the condition could develop into cancer and lead to a foot being amputated, Devers underwent radiation therapy and suffered severe side effects.

A new course of medicine was found to cure the feet problems and she was able to train fully again. In Barcelona, she got her reward with gold in the 100m. In Atlanta, she became only the second woman to retain the 100m title.

However, Devers cannot hold back time forever and she faces a formidable challenge from Canada’s Perdita Felicien, the 23-year-old student who snatched the world title in Paris last year after Devers crashed out in the semi-finals.