Freeman in Sydney

Cathy Freeman lights the Olympic cauldron in Sydney. Days later she wins the 400 meters in a hooded Nike suit, sits on the track, and does not rush the lap. The Stadium Australia crowd is a roar that knows the history is heavier than a personal best.

Australia’s Games wanted a picture of reconciliation. Freeman is not a mascot. She is the best 400-meter runner in the field and a woman who has already carried a flag people told her not to carry.

Home Olympics mint heroes. This one minted a sentence about who the country is for. The time is the easy part.