| | Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The big buildup turned into a big
bust.
|  | | Maurice Greene gets assistance after pulling up lame in the 200 final Sunday. |
In the most anticipated showdown in track and field in three
years, Michael Johnson and Maurice Greene both pulled up lame in
the final of the 200 meters at the U.S. Olympic trials on Sunday.
"It was painful when it happened," Johnson said of the injury
to his left hamstring. "It was one of the most painful I've ever
felt. It was a severe cramp."
Greene strained the same hamstring.
"I felt a strain ...," Greene said. "I stopped before I tore
something.
"I don't think it had anything to do with the heat or with the
rivalry. I was just trying to do something my body wasn't ready to
do.
"The whole world wanted a great show today. Unfortunately,
Michael and I weren't able to give it to them."
They met twice Sunday because both were in the same semifinal
heat. They came back less than two hours later in the final but
neither finished the race.
The injuries to Johnson and Greene mean neither will run the
200 at the Sydney Olympics.
Johnson, however, has qualified for the 400 and will run the
1,600 relay, if he recovers.
Greene will be in the 100 and 400 relay, also if he is healthy.
The shocking developments involving Johnson and Greene, the
world's two best sprinters, overshadowed some dazzling and
unprecedented performances.
There was Stacy Dragila breaking her world record in the pole
vault, soaring 15 feet, 2¼ inches. There was Gail Devers smashing
her American record in the 100-meter hurdles in 12.33.
There was Marion Jones winning the women's 200 at 21.94, the
fastest in the world this year, assuring her the opportunity to try
for a record five gold medals at the Sydney Olympics. And there was
the running Clark family -- Hazel, Jearl Miles and Joetta --
finishing 1-2-3 in the women's 800, all qualifying for the
Olympics.
Going into the 200 final, Johnson was nursing a tender right
quadriceps, but it was his left hamstring that forced him to quit
about 80 meters into the race.
It was evident that when Johnson came out of the blocks, he
wasn't healthy. He started much slower than usual, began slowing
even more at 50 meters, then struggled another 20 to 30 meters
before crumpling to the track.
He was removed from the track on a cart.
Greene began limping with about 100 meters left, grabbed for the
back of his left leg, started to slow further and stopped shortly
after.
He then walked toward the finish line, and had his left
hamstring wrapped in ice.
The race, the final event at the trials, proved anticlimactic
after much hype, which included as much trash-talking as has ever
been seen in a track and field event.
The winner of the final was 1999 NCAA champion John Capel of
Florida in 19.85 seconds, with Floyd Heard second in 19.88 and Coby
Miller third in 19.96.
"I didn't know what had happened until I looked up at the
screen and saw Michael lying on the ground," Capel said. "I hope
he's all right for the Olympics.
"That's a terrible way to lose."
Greene was surprised that he got injured.
"I was coming up on the curve. I was running pretty good and my
leg just grabbed," he said. "I'm disappointed I couldn't put on a
show here for the fans. You have to listen to your body and I
couldn't finish.
"I should be ready to go in about two to three weeks."
Surprisingly, Greene spoke with Johnson after their huge
letdowns in the final.
"I told him to get well," Greene said. "He said nothing. I
have no problem speaking with Michael. I can tell him something
like 'Get well.' If he speaks back, it will be on him."
Johnson did not speak back.
Greene plans to see a doctor Monday to determine the seriousness
of his injury.
"If it's torn, I can't say how long it will take to heal," he
said.
Jones had sympathy for Johnson and Greene.
"I think it's frustrating for everybody," Jones said. "As an
athlete I can sense their frustration because everybody knows I
went down in Seville last year."
Jones crumpled to the track in the semifinals of the 200 at the
World Championships in Spain.
"The fact that you have two of the fastest men in the world go
down in that event and not make the Olympic team (in the 200) is
hard," she said.
"It's unfortunate for everybody, but that's the way the U.S.
trials go."
Sunday's first round went to Johnson. He finished second to
Capel in the semifinals at 20.14, with Greene third at 20.30.
Recently, Greene had said, "Michael Johnson is a great athlete.
If people call him Superman, well, I am Kryptonite."
Kryptonite wasn't good enough in the semifinals and came apart
in the final. Superman didn't live up to his name in the final,
either.
"Maurice had a lot to gain," Johnson said. "If he beats me,
he's the new king. Everyone had a lot to gain but me."
Johnson thought that perhaps the near-100 degree heat caused his
injury.
"The heat will, of course, do that. But I thought I was
hydrated," he said. "It was disappointing. It was a goal of mine,
but you can't have everything. I'll still represent my country in
the 400."
This was their first confrontations since 1998 and their third
and fourth overall, with them splitting the first two.
Johnson got hurt Saturday in his opening-round heat. After
winning with the first-round's fastest time, 19.89, he complained
of a cramp in his quadriceps coming off the curve, but said that it
mostly disappeared down the straightaway.
Nevertheless, there was doubt whether he would run in the
semifinals.
Coach Clyde Hart said it would depend on whether Johnson felt
any pain during warmups Sunday. Hart and Johnson did not want to
jeopardize the Olympic champion's chances of winning gold medals in
the 400 and 1,600 by running with an injury.
Just like the warmups, the semifinal went well, although not as
well as expected because of the surprise performance of the
overlooked Capel.
As Johnson crossed the finish line, having beaten Greene, he
smirked at his feisty rival.
He then went into the athletes' tent and packed his quadriceps
with ice.
Leading up to the race, Johnson had said he was tired of what he
called Greene's disrespectful and immature attitude.
The matchup attracted betting in a Nevada book and drew many
responses from an internet poll conducted to determine a favorite.
Johnson was the odds-on favorite in the betting and a huge choice
in the poll.
Injuries and Capel undid both the bettors and the pollsters.
Not since Johnson's 150-meter match race against Canada's
Donovan Bailey, the 1996 100-meter Olympic gold medalist, has there
been so much hype for a track and field event.
That race also turned into a bust, as Johnson pulled up after
about 70 meters with an injured right leg.
After Dragila smashed her record of 15-1¾, she tried to clear
15-5, but missed three times. On her second attempt, she barely
brushed the bar on the way down.
Charles Austin, the 1996 Olympic gold medalist in the men's high
jump, will return to defend his title after winning the national
title for the sixth consecutive year. Austin cleared 7-7¼.
Devers broke her year-old record of 12.37 and became the
fourth-fastest performer ever.
The world record is 12.21 by Yordanka Donkova of Bulgaria.
In the 800, 22-year-old Hazel Clark matched her career best of
1:58.97 in beating 33-year-old Jearl Miles (1:59.12) and
37-year-old Joetta Clark (1:59.49).
Joetta beat Meredith Rainey-Valmon by 0.01 seconds for the final
spot on the Olympic team.
In other finals, 1996 Olympic gold medalist Allen Johnson won
the men's 110 hurdles at 12.97, the fastest in the world this year;
Mark Everett took the men's 800 at 1:45.67; Robert Howard won the
triple jump at 55-9, and Adam Setliff took the discus at 209-10.
| |
ALSO SEE
Johnson says he has raced his last 200
Drive for five still alive for Marion Jones
Dragila reaches new heights with pole vault record
Notebook: Devers overcomes big hurdle
U.S. Track & Field Trials results, Day 8
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Steve Cyphers on the mood surrounding Johnson and Greene's race.
wav: 646 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Cyphers, Patrick and Dibble debate the Olympic qualifying format.
wav: 2072 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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