Friday, August 27,1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B·Page 5
5
American runner breaks 400-meter world record
The Associated Press
SEVILLE, Spain — Michael Johnson smashed the longest-standing men's track record last night, winning his fourth straight 400-meter gold medal at the World Championships with a clocking of 43.18.
It was an electrifying performance reminiscent of Johnson's spectacular record-setting 19.32 seconds in the 200 meters at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Johnson shaved 0.11 seconds off the 11-year-old mark and destroyed the field at Seville's Estadio Olimpico. The record had been owned by fellow American Butch Reynolds, who ran 43.29 in Zurich Aug. 17, 1988.
"I knew the opportunity was there to get the world record because I'm in great shape," Johnson said. "It's a world championships and the motivation was there. I just wanted to make sure I
didn't mess up the opportunity."
But Johnson said he could run even faster.
"I can do better, you know," he said. "But it's a world record. I broke the world record in the 200 and then shattered it. I think I can do the same thing in the 400.
"With the kind of shape I'm in, I know I can run 42 seconds. I refuse to believe I can't do that."
It was only the second time in 31 years that the 400 record has been broken, Lee Evans'
Johnson: Believes he can run the race even faster.
record of 43.86, set at the 1968 Mexico Olympics,
stood for 20 years before Reynolds broke it.
Johnson said he started thinking about breaking the 400 record when he was in college.
"I've always wanted this record," he said. "This completes the circle."
Johnson's split time after 100 meters was 10.9,
21.0 after 200, and 31.3 after 300.
Johnson blazed down the final straight, legs churning in his upright style, accelerating more than 10 meters ahead of the field. As soon as he crossed the line and saw his time, he threw up his arms in triumph.
Johnson posed for photos next to the scoreboard flashing his time. Then he sprawled on his back on the track before grabbing an American flag and taking a victory lap, slapping hands with fans.
Johnson was handed a hand-painted sign saying, "Record - 43.18, Johnson," and he held it up to the crowd as he jogged around the track.
"That time is unbelievable," said British runner
The second-place finisher, Brazil's Sanderlei Parrela, was more than a second behind Johnson in 44.29. Mexico's Alejandro Cardenas took the bronze in 44.31.
Jamie Bauch, who finished eighth. "This is the first time I've ever spoken to him. I just had to give him a hug. I just told him he was unbelievable. That's on a par with 19.32."
Johnson had been chasing Reynolds' 400 title throughout the 1990s. He had come close three times, with clockings of 43.39, 43.44 and 43.49.
Johnson has dominated the 400 for a full decade and had an undefeated streak from 1989 to 1997. But in the past few years, he has been troubled by injuries in the hip and pelvic areas.
A hush fell over the crowd as Johnson, wearing black and gold shoes, settled into the starting blocks on a clear, warm evening that offered perfect conditions for his record attempt.
The near capacity crowd in the 60,000-seat stadium roared throughout the one-lap race, with the noise getting louder as Johnson surged further in front and was clearly poised to take the record.
It was the first world record broken at these championships, coming on the sixth day of the nine-day event.
In the men's pole vault, Maxim Tarasov of Russia succeeded Sergel Bubka as world champion, vaulting 19 feet, 9 inches to defeat Dmitriy Markov of Australia and Alekandris Averbukh of Israel.
Marion Jones withdrew from the World Championships, a day after pulling up with a back injury in the semifinals of the 200 meters.
"She's out of the championships," said her agent, Charlie Wells. "She's still walking around and we're evaluating her. She still has muscle spasms in her lower back."
Asked whether Jones would be out the rest of the season, Wells said, "We still need a couple of days to make that decision."
Jones, the sport's top female star, came to the championships seeking a record four gold medals.
She won the 100 meters Sunday in a season's best 10.70 seconds but settled for bronze Monday in the long jump. In addition to the 200, she had planned to run in one of the relays.
But Jones' championships ended in agony Wednesday night when she crumbled onto the track during her 200 semifinal and was carried off on a gurney.
A statement issued by USA Track and Field said: "Marion is in good spirits but is still experiencing back pain and occasional spasms. Her medical team continues to assess the nature of her injury and provide treatment."
Jones' husband, shot put champion C.J. Hunter, refused to comment when approached at his Seville hotel.
Swimmer sets another mark in semifinals
SYDNEY, Australia — South African swimmer Penny Heyns continued her world-record rampage yesterday, breaking her own mark in the 200-meter breaststroke semifinals at the Pan Pacific championships.
The Associated Press
It was her sixth record in an amazing five-week run during which she has lowered both the 100 and 200 three times each.
Her latest record was the eighth of the PanPacs in five days of competition, and her second of the meet. She also lowered the 100-meter mark in the preliminary heats.
Heyns broke four world records last month in Los Angeles, two in each event, and her 2:24.42 Wednesday was 0.9 seconds under her 2:24.51 on July 18.
Jenny Thompson, who broke the 200 butterfly world record Monday — the second-oldest mark — returned to action with the fastest qualifying time from the semis of the 100 freestyle.
She also won her 21st PanPac gold medal as the U.S. 800-meter freestyle relay team set the second fastest time ever. Thompson, Lindsay Benko, Ellen Stonebraker and Cristina Teuscher finished at 7.57.61, beating the drug-tainted 1994 Chinese time of 7.57.96 but missing East Germany's record of 7.55.47 from 1987.
Australia's Michael Klim was under Alex Popov's world record pace halfway through the 100 freestyle final but was unable to sustain his pace. Klim managed to hold out American Neil Walker to get his third gold of the meet, but his 48.98 was slower than his best of 48.73 and Popov's 48.21.
Australian Simon Cowley wrapped up a breaststroke double when he added the 200 gold to the 100 title from earlier in the meet. Cowley was one-half length behind American Tom Wilkens with 50 to swim but caught him halfway down the stretch and finished in a national record of 12.19.8.
American Lenny Krayzelburg, who broke the 100 backstroke world record Wednesday, tuned up for an attempt to break the 200 record by qualifying fastest through yesterday's semifinals.
Krayzelburg, aiming to break Martin Lopez Zubero's 1991 mark of 1:56.57, was a second under world record pace at the halfway mark. He stayed on target through 150 but eased down the stretch, saving energy for today's final.
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