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Masterful Maurice Greene takes 100, Johnson shows old form, Bubka continues slide
Posted: Wednesday July 22, 1998 12:14 AM
UNIONDALE, New York (AP) -- Michael Johnson showed he's still the boss. Maurice Greene left Donovan Bailey almost speechless. And one of track's most enduring stars showed he might at last be finished. It was some night of track at the Goodwill Games. Johnson, the 1996 Olympic 200 and 400 champion, erased any thoughts that his career might be on a downslide, winning the 400 in a meet-record 43.76 seconds. Greene, who has been bad-mouthed by Bailey since winning last year's 100-meter world championship, quieted the feisty Canadian by racing to victory in 9.96. Bailey, coming off a series of injuries and illnesses, appeared to shut down with 80 meters left and finished seventh at 10.30, far off his world record of 9.84. But amid those highlights, Sergei Bubka, the greatest pole-vauler in history, gave more signs that the end of his career is near. The 34-year-old Ukrainian who has set the world record 35 times and is the only one to clear 20 feet, no-heighted for the second time in three meets. On his final try at 18 feet, 81/4 inches, the 90-second time limit ran out and Bubka did not even make an attempt at the bar. Jeff Hartwig won the pole vault at 19-81/2, breaking his American record by one-quarter inch. Greene and training partner Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago, who finished second at 10.00, both stared down Bailey before the ballyhooed 100. "There were a whole lot of mind games going on," said Jon Drummond, the fourth-place finisher. Bailey took it lightly, smiling, then saying, "Everyone's taking this too seriously. It's time to relax." Once they got into the blocks, there was no relaxing. Greene blasted out quickly, established the lead and maintained it throughout, beating Boldon by one yard.
'I knew I had to capitalize on the start to win,' Greene said. Bailey offered no excuses. "My preparation was exceptional," he said. "I guess I lost my concentration out of the blocks. Then, I was down so bad - maybe 10 or 15 meters - I thought I'd just run through." Greene summed up the outcome: "I guess I'm the world's fastest man. I'm just getting started." Johnson's time was the 12th-fastest in history - he holds nine of the best - and the fastest in the world since he ran 43.75 at Waco, Texas, on April 19, 1997. He broke from the blocks quickly, took a slight lead until the eight-man field reached the final stretch, then blazed to a six-yard record. Johnson's future had been clouded by two losses in his three previous races, but after winning at Rome last week, he said he felt healthy for the first time in more than a year. "The two races in Europe did me a lot of good," Johnson said, before being presented the gold medal by heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield. Tyree Washington, the runner-up in 44.43, said, "I tried to come up at the end, but Michael was very strong. Michael ran a great race." Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the 36-year-old world record-holder in the heptathlon who has not completed a multi-event since the 1996 Olympic trials, looked woefully out of shape at the start of her final heptathlon. The two-time Olympic gold medalist finished her first four events in second place with 3,833 points, 34 behind leader DeDee Nathan. "It's been difficult," Joyner-Kersee said. "I'm trying to stay positive and execute. I'm a fighter." The final three heptathlon events - the long jump, javelin and 800 - are Tuesday. Noureddine Morceli, the world mile record-holder from Algeria, swept into the lead just before the final lap and beat Kenya's William Tanui by six yards in 3:53.39, nine seconds slower than his record. Britain's Jonathan Edwards, the world record-holder in the men's triple jump at 60-0 1/4, won at 57-11, matching the second-best in the world this year. Olympic champion Kenny Harrison finished last at 54-2 3/4.
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