Williams Wins Gold at Olympic Tennis

S Y D N E Y, Australia, Sept. 26 -- Venus Williams stepped off the Olympicgold medal platform transformed in a way she never was when she wonWimbledon and the U.S. Open.

Gracious toward her rivals, considerate of her teammates,touched by a sense of history and fulfillment, Williams matured ina single transcendent moment into a champion who knows how to actlike one.

She did more than capture the gold in a 6-2, 6-4 rout ofRussia’s Elena Dementieva today. She did more than stretchher winning streak to 32 matches, and more than put the final touchon a scintillating summer.

Venus Williams grew up at the Sydney Games.

“I guess I’ve graduated to a different level where I can belike some of the greats,” she said.

There was no boasting in her words, no superiority in her voice.Rather, she sounded, at 20, as if she suddenly realized how goodshe has become.

Call to Duty

What had been missing, and what she now expressed, was arecognition of her duty to live up to her position the way the mostrespected champions do.

She spoke sympathetically about Lindsay Davenport, whose footinjury forced her out after a first-round win, and acknowledged thethreat Monica Seles posed in a tough three-set semifinals match.

“One of my only regrets is that Lindsay wasn’t here,” Williamssaid. “Potentially it could have been all three of us standingthere on the stand, in any order. I was fortunate enough to get thegold, but Monica could have won the match the way she played theother day. She could have won the gold.”

The Olympic tennis title is less prestigious and certainly lesslucrative than the Grand Slam tournaments Williams swept thissummer. But with the gold medal came a new perspective for her onthe importance of playing in the games.

“This is the one moment in time for me, for my country, for myfamily, for the team,” she said. “I felt really emotional [on thepodium]. I felt really excited. I watched the Olympics at home whenI was a kid, and it was one of my dreams for my dad to win anOlympic medal. It means a lot.”