Vincent Hogan: 'It was obvious that a 26-year-old Irish girl was about to become the big story. The question for journalists was how they would interpret it'
President Bill Clinton meets Michelle Smith after she won the third of her three gold medals at the 1996 Olympics. Photo: Getty
A day before Atlanta's Opening Ceremony three of us had lunch in the Main Press Centre, Michelle on our minds.
The other two were unambiguous about where they stood. That is, they did not believe in the looming fairytale. They considered her story a swindle and sensed it was now about to dominate the first week of the 25th Olympiad. "She could win two or three golds, you know?" said one.
