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U.S. long jumpers offended by remarks
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) -- U.S. long jumpers Melvin Lister and Savante Stringfellow were deeply offended Wednesday by racial remarks made by an Australian long jumper, with Stringfellow comparing the comments to the offensive ones made by John Rocker. "You can pretty much knock out all the dark athletes [because of the cool conditions expected for the Sydney Olympics]," Jai Taurima was quoted as saying in Australian newspapers. "We jumped in Salamanca [Spain] a month ago and those guys just couldn't compete well in bad conditions. It was wet and cold." Lister, winner of the U.S. Olympic trials, and Stringfellow, the U.S. indoor champion and NCAA outdoor champion, were livid when informed of Taurima's statements. Both athletes are black. "I would rank them the same as the John Rocker comments," Stringfellow said, referring to the Atlanta Braves' pitcher who last December made offensive remarks about foreigners and gays in a magazine article. "That was very unprofessional on his part. Maybe he doesn't know any better." "I can understand him having the confidence to beat us, but to come at us racially," Lister said. "I want him to know I wasn't satisfied with the comments he made. All that can do is cause animosity between the U.S. and Australia." Lister said that the Americans have been treated very well since arriving in Australia on Aug. 21 to train for the Sydney Games, and would not let one athlete spoil things. "We haven't said anything to cross anybody," he said. In addition to his racial remarks, Taurima dismissed all three U.S. long jumpers, including Dwight Phillips, who is not yet in Australia, from medal contention at the games. "Americans are Americans, aren't they?" he said. "They only jump big in America. "These three guys are a bunch of dribblers. That's all I'm saying. "I'm more scared of the two Ukraine and two Russian guys." None of whom the Australian record-holder and fourth-place finisher at the World Championships could name. "Who is he anyhow?" Lister said. "He doesn't even know who I am. He's never seen us. His teammates don't even have any respect for him." Lister and Stringfellow vowed to beat Taurima when they meet Sunday in a tuneup meet for the games. "I wasn't going to jump," Stringfellow said, "but I am now. "And mark this down: Whatever he jumps in the first round of the games, I'm going to jump 20 meters farther." "I don't even think he's going to be a factor," Lister said. Taurima's best jump is 27 feet, 4 3/4 inches. Lister, the NCAA indoor and outdoor champion in 1999, has jumped 27-10 1/4 this year, and Stringfellow's best is 27-2 3/4.
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