Olympic champion Butch Reynolds watches 400m final with NBC4's Kyle Beachy

See Quincy Hall's storm for gold in the video player above

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) - Olympic champion and former world record holder Butch Reynolds didn't watch the Olympics for a long time. 

"The tragedy, you know, you hurt. You got to grow and mature. And time heals all wounds, right? So now I can enjoy one. The best sports in the world: the Olympics," Reynolds explained over Zoom Wednesday night.

The "tragedy" he refers to is the false positive test for performance enhancing drugs that stole his shot at Gold for years after 1990. 

This 400m final Reynolds watched from his hotel room in Massachusetts. He is there promoting his "ESPN 30 for 30" documentary focused on his battle from world record holder in 1988 to suspended in 1990 and clearing his name.

NBC4's Kyle Beachy watched the finals with Reynolds over Zoom to pick his brain on what it takes to become a champion in what many consider the toughest race on earth.

"I think because of the anaerobic and it will be conditioning, you've got to have a conditioning as a 100-meter runner," Reynolds said. "You can have the same conditioning as a as a miler. And you got to make sure you put it all together to really make the perfect race or a perfect runner."

As the runners took their marks, Reynolds explained what's going through a runner's head in those moments right before the gun.

"When you really can tune everything out and you just you concentrate on what you're going to concentrate on. And you're not you're not filling the nervousness as much. You're not feeling all these different things. You're really in the zone," he explained.

When the gun sounded, Reynolds eyes were glued to the screen. He spotted the American runners and keyed in on them throughout, especially the eventual winner, Quincy Hall.

Reynolds narrated as the race went: "This is amazing. Hall all over the place. Oh, yeah. Swinging. Yes. You come all in the heart. You finish with guts and heart. He's in one, two, three, four. He's in fourth place right now. You go. Yes, they come. He is. His goal is on his goal, the worst form in the world. But he by the win a gold medal. Now, there you go. There you go!"

Quincy Hall came from behind in an incredible effort to win gold for Team USA. Reynolds was thrilled, even if it wasn't the most tactical or clean performance from a technical running standpoint.

"You know what? I don't care what it took he wanted," Reynolds said. "I don't care how bad you look. He won it. He got a gold medal."