Sept. 4, 2008

As exciting as Mary Wineberg’s win in the 4-by-400 meter relay at the Olympics in Beijing, David Payne’s run was just as thrilling.

Although he might have had some help along the way – China’s Liu Xiang, one of the gold medal favorites, injured an Achilles tendon and couldn’t get through his first heat before withdrawing, and two-time American silver medallist Terrence Trammell strained his hamstring in a preliminary heat and couldn’t finish – Payne’s story is remarkable as well.

Payne – a Wyoming High School graduate – finished fourth at nationals last season and was left off the world’s squad, but Dominique Arnold was injured and Payne made the trip to Osaka at the last minute. He finished third there, and he’s tried to continue that momentum into this season.

But he’s struggled with injuries – he had appendicitis, and after the Olympics, Mary Wineberg said he returned home to Virginia early from the European season because of the stress fracture in his legs that have bothered him.

Yet, although Cuba’s Dayron Robles dominated the Olympic finals, Payne edged out American David Oliver to take second place in front of his mother.

“I had a great race,” Payne told reporters afterward. “I hope (to) get faster. I got the silver medal and no one can ever take that away from me. No one.”

Said Chris Wineberg, his former teammate at UC: “This is the Olympic Games and you’re competing against every person in the world. You take two of those people out (in Xiang and Trammell), who are outstanding, but you’re still competing against some of the top people in the world. He was thrilled. He wanted to go out there and be Olympic champion but he’s definitely happy with the silver, and he’s really glad his family was over there.”

He also indirectly helped Wineberg – who watched Payne’s silver medal performance from her Olympic Village room.

"It was interesting to watch David run,” Wineberg said. “As soon as he crossed the line I was full of emotion and tears. He had made it so far from being a Bearcat. It made me think that I need to get out there and get a medal, too. He was an inspiration for me.”