By TERRY JONES -- Edmonton Sun
 SYDNEY -- It was all Gail Devers was missing.

 She'd won the 100-metre gold at the Atlanta and Barcelona Olympics.

 She'd won the 4 x 100 metre relay gold at Atlanta.

 All she needed to complete her collection of Olympic gold medals was a gold in the 100-metre hurdles.

 And it's not like she wasn't qualified.

 The 33-year-old American won gold in the 100-metre hurdles at the Seville 1999, Goteborg 1995 and Stuttgart 1993 World Championships in Athletics.

 Her life story was turned into a made-for-television movie. Suffering from Graves disease between 1988 and 1991, she was days away from having her feet amputated. She's won more world championship medals than any female in history. But she wanted that Olympic gold in the 100-metre hurdles.

 In Barcelona, she was in the lead in the final when she crashed to the ground, tripping over the last hurdle. In Atlanta she was fourth.

 Gail Devers' dream died in a heat here yesterday when she pulled out of her race at the fifth hurdle.

 So this is where she calls it a career?

 SHE'LL BE HERE!

 Not a chance. She'll be coming to Edmonton 2001 next year.

 "I'll be back for next year. All that I ask for is an injury-free season. My plan is to definitely come back and run in Edmonton next year.

 "I have no intention of retiring. No way.

 "Why are you guys always trying to force me out of the sport? I will only use the r-word once and I haven't used it yet. It's still in the closet.

 "Why would I retire?

 "At 33, I'm running the best times of my life and I'm still having fun. Just because I didn't get a gold here doesn't mean I'm not going to achieve my other goals. "

 It wasn't any fun for her here yesterday.

 "I injured my hamstring at a meet in Brussels leading into the Games. An MRI scan showed a partial tear but I couldn't train that much in the lead-up. I thought it would be OK but as I pushed off the blocks I felt it pull badly. On the next four hurdles I could feel pain and by the fifth hurdle I couldn't do it, and went through the hurdle instead of over it."

 She was asked if she thought her withdrawal would arouse drug suspicions.

 "It would never cross my mind," she said. "My pulling up was an injury. You can't relate an injury to what people will speculate. That's not fair."

 And yes, the media have noticed that a lot of people are coming up lame at these Olympics and not having to go through drug testing.

 With Devers out of the event, Olga Shishigina of Kazakhstan won the gold medal.

 "I wanted to win but I didn't expect I would. I thought I would be top three," she said. "In the end this is a miracle. I will be a hero back home."

 It was Kazakhstan's first track and field medal and first Olympic gold.

 Glory Alozie of Nigeria lost the race by .03 of a second. Melissa Morrison of the U.S. was third.

 Alozie's boyfriend was killed in a car accident before the Games.

 "Many people encouraged me at this difficult time," she said. "I'm so grateful to everyone."

 Like Devers, Ellina Zvereva of Belarus, yesterday's gold medal winner in the discus, isn't quitting either. She'll be in Edmonton next year.

 "I don't feel my age," said the 39-year-old. "This is my job and I like to do it. As long as I do it very well, I'll keep on doing it."

 Anastasia Kelesidou of Greece won silver and Irina Yatchenko of Russia took bronze.

 Probably calling it a career after his gold medal win here in the men's 800 metres was Nils Schumann of Germany.

 "Yes, I think I will," said the man who beat Denmark's famed Wilson Kipketer in a five-lane-wide finish in the race.

 "I wonder why I do this. It is unpleasant to do. Now I do well at the Olympics, I should start another career.

 '`Financially this should be good for me. With a gold medal I can go on."

 POP HIM A COLD ONE

 Besides, the man is thirsty.

 "It's been two months for me without having a beer," he said. "That is a long time to go. I love beer. I will have a beer tonight."

 Angelo Taylor of the U.S. won the men's 400-metre hurdles with Saudi Arabia's Hadi Souan Somayl taking silver and Llewellyn Herbert of South Africa the bronze.

 Irina Privalova of Russia was the gold medal winner in the womens' 400-metre hurdles, with Deon Hemmings of Jamaica and Nouzhas Bidoune of Morocco joining her on the podium.