| | Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The celebrated, trash-talking showdown
between Michael Johnson and Maurice Greene will come sooner than
expected in the 200 meters in the U.S. Olympic trials.
|  | | Maurice Green won his 200 heat on Saturday with a time of 20.29 seconds. |
After the two won their opening-round heats Saturday, they were
drawn into the same heat alongside each other for Sunday's
semifinals.
Off the track, their confrontation was a draw.
Johnson, the world record-holder and Olympic gold medalist, won
his opening-round heat at 19.89 seconds, the second-fastest in the
world this year, behind only his 19.71, despite experiencing a
slight cramp.
Greene, the 200 world champion, had to struggle to win his heat
at 20.29.
The two combatants exchanged stares in the warmup area before
entering Sacramento State's Hornet Stadium, but no words were
uttered. While neither would discuss that meeting after their
races, sprinter Brian Lewis did.
"Michael was walking by Maurice and Maurice stared at him and
Michael stared back," Lewis said. "They laughed at each other.
They were doing it for pride, I guess.
"It was entertaining."
While the two have been bad-mouthing each other since the trials
began last weekend, only Johnson had something to say after the
first round. Greene said he would not comment until after Sunday's
final.
Johnson, however, did not talk much about the heated rivalry
that has turned into real bitterness, except to say that "it's
silly." He did discuss his race and the small problem he had with
his right quadriceps.
He said he felt a cramp in the quad coming around the curve,
"but it went away down the straightaway."
"I think it will be OK," Johnson said. "This has happened
before, but it did go away.
"I was able to keep on running today. I was able to finish the
race and that was encouraging. I hope it's nothing, but we'll have
to see. There's no way of knowing right now.
"Tomorrow I hope the schedule won't be a problem, but I don't
know."
Johnson's coach, Clyde Hart, said Johnson would test the injured
leg before Sunday's semifinals, and that the sprinter would not
race if there is a problem. Hart said there was no sense in
jeopardizing a possible two gold medals (in the 400 and 1,600
relay) for three.
On Sunday, the semifinal and final will be run about 1 hour, 45
minutes apart.
To protect and ease the pain, Johnson was treated with a wrap.
The first-round heats probably enforced the Nevada odds that
favored Johnson in this rare track and field event that has
attracted national betting.
The two have met twice, with each winning once, Johnson in 1997
and Greene in 1998, both times at the Prefontaine Classic in
Eugene, Ore. They were heading for another showdown at the USA
Championships at Eugene last year, but Johnson withdrew at the last
minute because of injury.
That's when the trash-talking truly began. Greene said Johnson
was ducking him, Johnson claimed he was legitimately hurt.
In his heat Saturday, Greene had to fend off Ramon Clay, the
runner-up at 20.37.
Johnson was given a strong challenge by John Capel for the first
180 meters, before Capel slowed, finishing second at 20.14.
Marion Jones, who had not run a 200 since crumbling to the track
with back spasms in the semifinals at the World Championships at
Seville, Spain, last year, returned to the event by winning her
opening-round heat in 22.62.
Jones, already the winner of the 100 and the long jump at the
trials, looked smooth in her first 200 of the year while running
into a headwind of nearly 3 mph. She coasted to victory, slowing
only in the final 50 meters as instructed by coach Trevor Graham,
in heading toward an apparent showdown against rival Inger Miller,
winner of the world title in Jones' absence.
Miller, who has insisted she will thwart Jones' bid for a record
five gold medals at the Olympics, won her heat at 23.15. Just like
Greene and Johnson, Miller and Jones have shown little liking for
each other. And just like Greene and Johnson, they will be
alongside each other in the semifinals Sunday.
Jones said she hasn't engaged in any trash-talking with Miller,
who has been the more vocal of the two.
"You never heard me say a bad thing about any other person and
I'm going to continue to do that," Jones said. "Sometimes my name
gets linked up in that. As far as all that trash-talking, people
should just put up.
"What I like to do is run fast on the track. All the people
that are talking I just want them to show up and give me a race.
I'm tired of all this.
"I've never been one to trash-talk and I'm not going to start
now. If you're going to talk, come out and be ready to run. That's
all I'm asking."
In Saturday's finals, Angelo Taylor, the former NCAA champion
from Georgia Tech, won the men's 400 hurdles at 47.62, the fastest
time in the world this year; Nicole Gamble took the women's triple
jump at 45 feet, 9¾ inches -- 7½ inches short of the Olympic "A"
standard; and Tim Seaman won the men's 20-kilometer walk at
1:25:41.00, short of the Olympic "B" standard.
"I won't say I'll be the favorite (in the Olympics), but I ran
the fastest time in the world this year -- that should say
something," Taylor said.
Gail Devers, the three-time world champion in the women's 100
hurdles and the 2000 world leader, won her opening-round heat in a
sizzling 12.57, the fastest first-round heat ever by an American.
Devers, trying to atone for missing the team in the 100 and not
getting an opportunity for a record third straight gold medal in
that event, skimmed over the hurdles with flawless precision.
Allen Johnson, the 1996 Olympic gold medalist and two-time world
champion in the men's 110 hurdles, was among those qualifying for
Sunday's final on the last day of the trials. Johnson eased through
his heat in 13.42, finishing second to Dominque Arnold, the fastest
qualifier at 13.36.
World champion Anthony Washington led the qualifiers for the
discus final, throwing 219-7.
| |
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