Greene and
Jones win the 200m whilst Hartwig sets a national pole vault record
By Bert Rosenthal (AP)
27 June 1999 – Eugene, Oregon - Maurice Greene showed why he's the world’s fastest human, winning even with a poor start. Marion Jones showed that even a knee injury can't slow her. Greene and Jones capped the US Championships by winning the men's and women's 200-meter dashes Sunday.
Greene, capitalising on the absence of injured world record-holder Michael Johnson, sped to victory in a wind-aided 19.93 seconds, beating national indoor champion Rohsaan Griffin by .05 seconds.
It wasn't an ordinary Greene race. He stumbled out of the blocks and had to put his left hand on the track to maintain his balance. He finally took the lead with 80 meters remaining and cruised to the finish.
While Greene didn't come close to Johnson's world record of 19.32 or his personal best of 19.86, even with an aiding wind of 2.3 meters per second, he showed he was the best on this day. Earlier this month, Greene set the world record for 100 meters of 9.79.
"The start of my race was shaky, but I recovered well and ran the best race I could today. It was a stumble out of the blocks. I didn't get enough block clearance.''
Jones led all the way in winning in 22.10. Like Greene, it was not close to her best of 21.62 and far off the world record of 21.34, but Jones was superior to the rest of the field. She led coming off the curve and was not seriously challenged.
Two weeks ago, Jones sprained her right knee while long jumping, and has been nursing the injury since, though she did not use that as an excuse Friday night when she was upset in the long jump.
"It's the best it's felt," Jones said of her knee. There were several other outstanding performances on the final program of the four-day championships that was the qualifying meet for the World Championships in Seville, Spain, this August.
Jeff Hartwig broke his American record in the pole vault, soaring 6.02 meters (19 feet-9 inches); John Godina uncorked the best shot put in the world in two years, 22.02 (72-3), smashing the 15-year-old Hayward Field record; Tisha Waller shattered meet and venue records in winning the women's high jump at 1.99 (6-6 1-4);
Gail Devers won the women's 100 hurdles in a wind-aided 12.54; Mark Crear took the men's 110 hurdles in a wind-aided 13.09; and Regina Jacobs, winner of the women's 1,500 Saturday, completed an unprecedented distance double by winning the 5,000 in 15:24.80.
Sunday's other winners were Khadevis Robinson in the men's 800 in 1:45.92; Pascal Dobert in the men's 3,000 steeplechase in 8:21.48; Jearl Miles-Clark in the women's 800 in 1:59.47; Lynda Blutreich in the women's javelin at 55.52 (182-2); and Curt Clausen in the men's 20-kilometer walk in 1:23:34.
Results of the final day of the four-day U.S. championships on Sunday at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field. (Top three finishers qualify for the World Championships in Seville.)
Men's 200 meters 1. Maurice Greene19.93 seconds 2. Rohsaan
Griffin19.98 3. Kevin Little 20.19
Women's 200 meters 1. Marion Jones 22.10 2. Latasha Jenkins 22.36 3. Inger Miller 22.46
Women's 100-meter hurdles 1. Gail Devers 2.54 seconds (wind-assisted) 2. Miesha McKelvy
12.67 3. Andria King 12.73
Men's 110-meter hurdles 1. Mark Crear 13.09 seconds (wind-assisted) 2. Allen Johnson 13.15
3. Tony Dees13.19
Women's 5000 meters 1. Regina Jacobs 15 minutes, 24.80 seconds 2. Cheri Kenah 15:26.60 3,
Elva Dryer 15:27.26
Men's 20 km walk 1. Curt Clausen one hour, 23 minutes, 34 seconds 2. Tim Seaman 1:23:42 3.
Jonathan Matthews 1:24:50
Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase 1. Pascal Dobert 8 minutes, 21.48 seconds 2. Robert Gary
8:22.19 3. Francis O'Neill 8:22.51
Women's 800 meters 1. Jearl Miles-Clark one minute, 59.47 seconds 2. Meredith
Rainey-Valmon 2:00.36 3. Kathleen Rounds 2:00.71
Men's 800 meters 1. Khadevis Robinson 1:45.92 2. Bryan Woodward 1:46.06 3. Rich Kenah
1:46.13
Men's shot put 1. John Godina 22.02 meters (72 feet, 3 inches) 2. C.J. Hunter 21.09 (69
feet, 2 1/2 inches) 3. Kevin Toth 20.40 (66 feet, 11 1/4 inches)
Women's high jump 1. Tisha Waller 1.99 meters (6 feet, 6 1/4 inches) 2. Amy Acuff 1.93 (6
feet, 4 inches) 3. Karol Jenkins 1.93 (6 feet, 4 inches)
Women's javelin 1. Lynda Blutreich 55.53 meters (182 feet, 2 inches) 2. Cass Morelock
53.36(175 feet, 1 inch) 3. Ann Crouse 52.93 (173 feet, 8 inches)
Men's pole vault 1. Jeff Hartwig 6.02 meters (19 feet, 9 inches) 2. Pat Manson 5.65 (18
feet, 6 1/2 inches) 3. Nick Hysong 5.65 (18 feet, 6 1/2 inches)
