U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials Begin

S A C R A M E N TO, Calif., July 15, 2000 -- — A few yards beyond the finish line,Marion Jones and Jackie Joyner-Kersee hugged, track’s shiningfuture embracing its storied past on opening night of the U.S.Olympic Track and Field Trials on Friday.

“She is my hero,” Jones said, “my idol.”

Jones, flashing the smile that has made her the sport’s risingsuperstar, breezed to victory in the 100-meter preliminaries, thenqualified for Sunday’s finals in the long jump.

Joyner-Kersee: ‘I Was Rusty’

Nothing was easy, though, for Joyner-Kersee on Friday. At age 38, she isattempting to make a fifth Olympic appearance. She managed anunspectacular effort (21-foot and three-fourths of an inch) that qualified her eighth in a field of 12 for Sunday’s long jump finals.

Joyner-Kersee has won six Olympic medals, more than any otherwoman in track and field. Three of them were gold. She holds theAmerican record in the long jump and the world record in theheptathlon.

Her best jump, in her third and final try, was more than 3½ feetshort of her American mark.

“I was rusty,” she said with her trademark laugh. “Couldn’t you tell?”

Still, she agreed with her husband and coach, Bob Kersee, thatshe could jump 1½ feet farther on Sunday, and that should be enoughto make the Olympic team.

“The good thing about today is the more I jumped, the better Ifelt,” she said.

The long jump is the weakest link in Jones’ goal of five Olympicgold medals in Sydney, and she was only fifth among the qualifiers.

“It wasn’t fun,” Jones said. “It was all business. I got to the next round. That’s what it’s all about.”

Greene, Johnson Sizzled

The other big stars shone as expected. Maurice Greene sizzled toa 9.93-second 100 meters in the preliminaries and Michael Johnsoneased to victory in the 400 at 45.16 seconds.

“I think a lot of people thought I came here not ready torun,” Greene said. “I’m here to show that I am. Just because I lost a couple of races — that’s practice. Now it’s showtime.”

Greene, the world record-holder in the event, ran thesecond-fastest 100 of the year. Only his 9.91 clocking in Osaka,Japan, in May was faster.

“I knew when I woke up this morning, I felt very good,” Greenesaid. “It’s the best I’ve felt in a long time, so I knew I wasready to run.”

Johnson’s time was the fastest of the 400 heat winners. Formerworld record-holder Butch Reynolds had the slowest time of all 400runners, 47.79.

200-Meter Showdown Next Week

“I just wanted to get this one under my belt,” Johnson said.“At this point, I don’t think there’s anything in my racing I need to work on. Not like at the world championships, where I’m tryingto break a world record. Here I’m just trying to get through aseasy as possible.”

Greene’s showdown with Johnson in the 200 is a week away, butthe rivalry is alive and well. Johnson called Greene “immature”in an interview, and Greene responded in kind.

“He thinks he’s unbeatable in the 200 meters,” Greene said. “But the last time we raced, you know who won.”

Keflezighi Wins 10,000 Meters

The two biggest disappointments came in the men’s pole vault andthe men’s 10,000.

In the pole vault, Jeff Hartwig, who set the American recordlast month at 19 feet and 9 and one-fourth inches, failed to clear any height in qualifying, missing three times at 18 feet and 2 and one-fourth inches.

In the 10,000, favorite Bob Kennedy pulled out before the startbecause of a vertebrae injury, the result of an auto accident.

The men’s 10,000 was won by Mebrahtom Keflezighi, a four-timeNCAA champion at UCLA who came to the United States from his nativeEritrea. Keflezighi held off a fierce challenge by runnerup AlanCulpepper, who finished just three-hundredths of a second behindthe winner.

Another North African, Abdihakim Abdirahmin, was third.Abdirahmin became a U.S. citizen in January, but came to the UnitedStates 10 years ago from his native Somalia.

All three have met the Olympic qualifying standard, Keflezighiand Culpepper in this race and Abdirahmin earlier this year.

Deena Drossin, the three-time U.S. 8-kilometer cross countrychampion who swallowed a bee during this year’s World Cross Countrychampionships, won the women’s 10,000 with a trials record of31:51.05. Jen Rhines finished second at 31:58.34, and LibbieHickman was third at 31:58.65. All three bettered the Olympicqualifying standard.