Devers
endures while Greene falters
Jim Slater (AFP) in Atlanta, Georgia -
27 February - Reigning Olympic sprint champion Gail Devers won her third meeting
in a week while Maurice Greene led a set of disappointments at the United States Athletics
Championships.
Devers captured her third 60m US indoor title, taking the final here Saturday in 7.04secs
and qualifying to defend her global crown next week at the World Indoor Championships in
Maebashi, Japan. "My first round felt terrible," Devers said. "Second round
I felt better and in the final there was just so much going on. I didn't have a time in
mind. I just wanted to get through it. I wanted to go to Japan."
Greene approached his world record in the 60m semi-finals only to finish second in the final. Reigning world indoor champions Kevin Little and Charles Austin were also upset, as was shot put star John Godina.
Devers, who also won the US indoor crown in 1993 and 1997, won her semi-final in 7.02. She had clocked a 1999 world best 6.98 in France last Sunday and won in 7.02 in Stockholm on Thursday.
Devers arrived barely 20 hours before her first race and ran after a restless night but still had enough to beat Inger Miller, who took second place in 7.15. "I had exactly one hour and 12 minutes of sleep last night," Devers said. "I couldn't sleep so I just got up and got on my computer."
Devers missed last year's outdoor season with an injured Achilles tendon, helping inspire her for indoor races. "I'm happy I'm healthy," she said. "Last year, sitting around in a cast while everyone else was running was the hardest thing."
Greene teased a Georgia Dome crowd of about 5,000 in the semi-finals, winning his heat in 6.40, just off his world indoor record 6.39 from last year in Madrid. But in the final, Greene was left behind in the blocks from the start and Tim Harden, the 1995 US indoor champion, won in 6.44 to earn his first berth on a US international squad.
Greene rallied to take second in 6.49, edging training partner Jon Drummond by .02 of a second for the final world berth. "I felt something twinge in my right hamstring in the prelims, so I wasn't sure about the race coming into the final," Greene said.
Harden said Greene's ego was hurt more than his leg. "Maurice was not injured going into the race, but he may have gotten injured afterwards. No one ever picks me to win. I really didn't care how fast he ran in the rounds. I race to get to the finals and then go fast."
Reigning Olympic and world indoor high jump champion Charles Austin,
reigning world 200m indoor champion Little and 1996 Olympic shot put silver medallist and
1997 world champion John Godina joined Greene as major disappointments.
In the 200m, Rohsaan Griffin became the third-fastest man indoors by setting a US record
of 20.32, breaking the old mark of 20.40 shared by Little and Jeff Williams. "I was
totally surprised I ran as fast as I did," Griffin said. "I feel very good and I
expect to run faster at the worlds."
Little was second in 20.41, barely earning a chance to defend his world crown. "It was my second-best time ever," Little said. "We were even on the last turn, but coming off he got the slingshot effect."
Henry Patterson won the high-jump at 2m30, the same height cleared by runner-up Stephen Smith, with Austin sharing third at 2.21. But because Austin was the only American to reach the world qualifying mark of 2.31 by last Wednesday's deadline, he alone advanced to Japan.
Andy Bloom was a surprise shot put winner at 20.82 with C.J. Hunter second while being cheered on by his wife, star sprinter Marion Jones, who skipped the indoor season.
Godina, unbeaten in the event last year on his way to US indoor and outdoor crowns, was third at 20.59 and failed to qualify for the world championships. "I'm not going to worry much about this meet," Godina said. "I'm really focusing on outdoors." (Godina was subsequently selected after CJ Hunter withdrew follwoing injury).
Reigning world 400m indoor champion Jearl Miles-Clark overcame being bumped at the midpoint but passed along the outside to win in 51.97, serving notice she will be tough to dethrone in Japan. "It concerned me a little I didn't get position," Miles-Clark said. "I had to just stay on the outside and keep running."
Steve Lewis, the 1988 Olympic 400m champion attempting a comeback, pulled up with a twinge in his left hamstring, leaving Angelo Taylor to take the 400m title in 45.50, a 1999 world best.
Reggie Torian won the 60m hurdles in 7.38, matching the fourth-best run all time, while reigning world indoor pole vault champion Stacy Dragila won the US title by clearing 4.45, while in the men’s event Jeff Hartwig set an American pole-vault record at 5.92m, breaking the mark of 5.91 he set in January at Reno, Nevada.
Results can be found at the USAT&F web site
