Will Susantika reveal her bizarre story?

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Sydney: Susantika Jayasinge, the 'Dazzling Gazelle' of Sri Lankan athletics, has seen it all; the adulation and the condemnation, the banishment and the re-birth. All in a matter of three years.

Susantika, who speaks broken English and that, too, haltingly, has a toothy smile that is dazzling. And those teeth sparkle in sharp contrast to ebony hued face. She had an awful start, but made up brilliantly and then lunged at the tape, uncertain of what colour her medal would be.

Even as Marion Jones was celebrating, the rest of the field held its breath and looked once more at the replay on giant screen. Still no one could make out. Then the names started appearing on scoreboard.

Marion Jones first in 21.84s was all too clear, and then Pauline Davis of theBahamas second in 22.28 and third, Susantika in 22.29s. It was also a Lankan national record and a career-best.

Ecstatic, she ran towards the stands to hug her husband of six years, Dhammika Nandakumara, a former athlete, who has stood by her through the thick and thin of the last three years.

"I am very happy and very proud to have won for my country tonight. It was our first medal in 52 years," she gurgled like a child, who had finally got her toy. "I am so very, very happy. I am so pleased and excited. I just tried to focus on my lane and I ran as fast as I could."

Susantika comes from a small village Al Gams way outside Colombo. She first came into the limelight as a 16-year-old when the South Asian Games were held in Colombo. But her first major win came in the 1994 Asian Games, when she picked up a silver in 200m. At the height of her trouble in 1998 and 1999, Susantika was even banned from using sports facilities in the country. More than once she was physically barred from entering a stadium. Disgusted and helpless, Susantika had no option but to look outside Sri Lanka.

Fortunately for her, her sponsors, Nike, stood by her. They helped her go to Los Angeles, United States, where she trained with her agent, Tony Campbell, who also became her coach.

And this year, she seemed to have finally made up with the Sri Lankan government and sports officials. Her return to Sri Lanka meant she was once again with Dervin Perrera, her former coach.

The partnership worked well. Meanwhile her sponsors and her agent ensured she got a lot of races. She went for some meets in Europe and just this month, in the first week of September, she ran 11.04s for the 100m in Yokohama and then 22.32s for the 200m a week before the SydneyGames began.

The 100m campaign ended in the semi-finals, but soon after that she announced that she would henceforth run only the 200m and the 400m. Her form suggested a possible medal in 200m and she duly delivered.

But there are still a few things that people would love to know. What was it that so badly ruined her relations with Sri Lankan sports officials that herfight got so bitter and personal.

She has never made it public, but sometime back had said, "Politics andathletics are very closely linked in Sri Lanka. After I win a medal, I will tell all."

The question now is, will she?