| | Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Johnny Gray's bid to make history is over, and so is his illustrious career.
|  | | Johnny Gray finished last in his heat, then ended his career with a victory lap to an appreciative Sacramento crowd. |
The 40-year-old Gray, the U.S. record-holder for 800 meters, was trying to make a record-tying fifth Olympic team Thursday night.
It was a disastrous effort.
"I quit," Gray said. "I'm officially retired. I'm ready to go
to Masters tomorrow. You'll never see Johnny Gray line up at this
stage of competition again."
After leading for 500 meters, the leg-weary and ailing Gray
faded so badly he finished last in his first-round heat at 1
minute, 53.21 seconds -- more than 10 seconds slower than his record
of 1:42.60.
It was the third consecutive time he ran over 1:50 since
straining a calf muscle.
Despite Gray's downfall, the crowd of 23,124 at Sacramento
State's Hornet Stadium gave him a rousing ovation, aware of his
numerous accomplishments over the years.
Gray responded by taking a reverse victory lap and throwing his
shoes that he wore in winning last year's Pan American Games into
the stands.
Gray, an Olympian in 1984, '88, '92 and '96, was attempting to tie Carl Lewis for most appearances by a male on U.S. track and field teams. If Gray had made it, he would have been the first to compete in five games. Lewis missed the 1980 Olympics because of the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Games.
Gray's only medal was bronze in the 1992 games. He also has won seven national championships and two Pan American Games gold medals, the first in 1987.
Now, his career is at an end.
There were only two finals Thursday night: Pascal Dobert, the 1998 and 1999 national champion, won the 3,000 steeplechase at 8:15.77, the fastest by an American this year; and Breaux Greer, who finished third at the '96 trials but missed the Olympic standard by one inch, took the men's javelin at 266 feet.
Dobert swept past five-time U.S. champion Mark Croghan off the final hurdle and won by three meters. He missed Henry Marsh's trials record of 8:15.68 by only 0.09 seconds.
Croghan, runner-up at 8:16.20, was more concerned about his
10-month-old son, who has been hospitalized for six weeks with a
congenital heart defect and is in intensive care. The youngster has
had two surgeries and a stroke, and is wearing a pacemaker.
"He's doing very well," Croghan said. "He's had a good week.
He went out in a stroller today.
"It's tough, but the fact that he started to turn things around
just before I came here helped."
As of now, Greer, who has only met the Olympic "B" standard,
will go to Sydney, because only one American -- U.S. record-holder
Tom Pukstys -- has met the "A" standard in the javelin. However,
if another American reaches the "A" standard of 269-0, Greer will
miss out again.
Lance Deal is enjoying his final year of competition in the hammer throw, especially the trials so far.
Less nervous than he was four years ago, Deal unleashed a throw
of 245 feet, 11 inches, leading the qualifiers into Friday's final.
|  | | Miesha Marzell, left, and Meredith Rainey-Valmon finished 1-2 in their 800-meters heat. |
To relieve the tension, Deal, the 1996 Olympic silver medalist,
went to Europe before the trials.
"I wanted to make this meet less nerve-wracking," he said.
For the past decade, Deal has been the best hammer thrower and
35-pound weight thrower in the United States.
He has won six national hammer throw titles and been a
three-time Olympian. He's won two Pan American Games titles and
been a two-time silver medalist at the World Cup and once at the
Goodwill Games.
Indoors, he owns the world record in the weight throw and has
won 12 national indoor titles, more than any other athlete.
Deal opened the qualifying at 232-5, only six inches short of the automatic qualifying distance, then got it on his second attempt.
Kevin McMahon, the 1997 U.S. champion and 1999 Pan Am silver
medalist, was the only other automatic qualifier at 235-5.
The decathlon began in hot, humid conditions, and without Dan
O'Brien, the world record-holder and Olympic champion who withdrew
because of a foot injury.
O'Brien's heir apparent, Chris Huffins, opened a 112-point lead
after the first five of the 10 events -- the 100, long jump, shot
put, high jump and 400 meters.
Huffins, the 1998 and 1999 U.S. champion and 1999 World Championship bronze medalist, ran the fastest time, 10.45, in the 100; had the best long jump, 25-10; was second in the shot put at 47-11, tied for third in the high jump at 6-11, and ran the fourth fastest 400, 48.64. That gave him 4,563 points.
The Clark sisters -- Hazel, 22, and Joetta, 37 -- won their opening-round heats in the women's 800. Hazel was timed in 2:01.78 and Joetta 2:02.18, the two-fastest times.
Their sister-in-law, Jearl Miles-Clark, already a member of the
400 team, finished second to Hazel at 2:02.07.
Derrick Adkins, the 1996 Olympic gold medalist in the men's 400
hurdles who has been plagued by depression, insomnia and paranoia
in recent years, advanced to Friday's semifinals.
Looking anything but like the smooth, graceful hurdler who won
at Atlanta four years ago, Adkins finished second in his
opening-round heat at 49.84. Eric Thomas, last year's Pan Am silver
medalist, had the fastest time in the first round, 49.25.
Connie Price-Smith, a 21-time national champion indoors and
outdoors, led the qualifying for Friday's women's shot put final at
57-4¾.
Vanitta Kinard, a former Big 12 champion from Kansas State, led
the qualifiers in the women's triple jump with a career-best 45-4¼.
Sheila Hudson, the U.S. record-holder and two-time Olympian,
also qualified for Saturday's final at 44-6¼. | |
ALSO SEE
U.S. Track & Field Trials results, Day 5
Runner not ready to call it quits
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