Maurice Greene (c) outsprints JJ Johnson (r) and Shawn Crawford (l) (© Kirby Lee)
Don't write off Maurice Greene just yet. Greene answered critics who hinted his career in the 100m was on the downside with a victory in 9.94 seconds in the inaugural Home Depot Invitational Home Depot Center in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson on Sunday.
The 2000 Olympic champion produced the second-fastest time in the world this season before a standing room crowd of 10,094. The performance was a turnaround from a third-place finish in 10.33 in his season debut in the adidas Oregon Classic in Portland on 17 May.
“Everybody has been saying that I am done. I am no good. I am finished. I am washed up,” Greene said. “But you know what? Who cares what they say? I know what I can do and know what I believe. You have to believe in yourself.”
Greene did some soul searching last summer when Tim Montgomery ran 9.78 to break Greene's world record by a 100th of a second. During the indoor circuit, Greene's season was curtailed by injury.
Then came his dismal showing in Portland. Afterward, Greene had a talk with high hurdler Larry Wade, a teammate with Greene on the HSI track club and his best friend. Wade noticed Greene had lost that carefree attitude that led him to three 100m world titles.
“He didn't seem like the happy Maurice Greene that was ‘I am going to go out there and enjoy myself’‚” Wade said. “He seemed too concerned and too pressured. I told him ‘just relax, go out there and don't be afraid to take a chance.’‚”
The change was evident Sunday when the race was called back for a false start. Greene flashed a huge grin as he walked past the main grandstand.
“Every time I came on the track, I was telling myself, ‘I have to do this. I've got to do that'‚” Greene said. “I used to say I don't have to do anything but let the cards lay as they come and have fun and do the best that I can do. I am getting back to that.”
When the race got under way, Greene, running in lane 5 in the centre of the track, showed his customary explosive power and pulled away from runner-up J.J. Johnson to his left in lane 4 and third-place finisher Shawn Crawford on his right in lane 6 (10.10). The race was aided by a 1.4mps gust. Greene took a victory lap with an American flag and signed autographs for fans along the finish line rail.
“I felt a lot better today than in Portland,” Greene said. “I put a lot more pressure on myself because I wanted to do so much. Today, I wanted to come out here and have fun and let it happen. I am basically trying to get my body together and ready to run. It's time to start get ready for nationals and running fast.”
Greene's victory highlighted the USA Track & Field Golden Spike Tour event that served as the opening of the Home Depot Center, a $150-million facility at Cal State Dominguez Hills that has been designated as an official U.S. Olympic training facility.
The Home Depot Center will be the site of the 2006 IAAF World Cup. There have also been discussions about bringing the 2005 USATF Championships and 2005, 2006 and 2007 NCAA Championships to Carson.
Mexico's Ana Guevara, who went undefeated last season in the 400m to win a share of the IAAF Golden League jackpot, won in 49.64 to the delight of a large Hispanic contingent.
In the women's 100m, Kelli White ran a windy (+2.8) 10.79 to produce the fastest time in the world under any conditions with Torri Edwards, 2003 World 60m bronze medallist in second in 10.96. High school sensation Allyson Felix, the world junior 200m record holder, finished seventh in 11.35 after running a wind-aided 11.12 in a California State meet qualifying competition on Friday night.
Olympic champions Allen Johnson in the 110 high hurdles (wind-aided 13.20) and Stacy Dragila in the women's pole vault (4.50m) also won.
Johnson, 32, who hopes to try for an unprecedented fourth world high hurdle title in Paris, said he felt no discomfort from an injury to his left calf that forced him to pull out of the Prefontaine Classic last week. He predicted that he can approach 13.0 by the USATF Nationals at Stanford in three weeks.
“If I can run 13.20 with wind or not, this sets me up perfectly for the summer season,” Johnson said.
A week after running a career-best 12.51 in the Prefontaine Classic to move into third on the all-time U.S. list, Miesha McKelvy ran a wind-aided 12.58 to win the women's 100m hurdles.
Despite 2000 Olympic bronze medallist Melissa Morrison failing to finish after a hard fall, five hurdlers broke 13 seconds with Joanna Hayes (12.65), Natasha Neal (12.93), Michelle Perry (12.94) and Great Britain's 2000 Olympic 400m hurdles finalist Natasha Danvers (12.98).
“I knew something happened but I had to keep on going,” McKelvy said about Morrison. “I just had to black out and run fast. I am impressed but know I am not going to stay at 12.5 but expecting to run faster. I can't wait for the season to end to see where I am going to be.”
Regina Jacobs and Jason Lunn won the women's and men's 1500m with kicks down the final stretch. Jacobs, who will turn 40 on 28 August, out dueled Suzy Hamilton to win the women's 1500m in 4:03.43 to 4:04.36. Lunn upset world indoor 800m champion David Krummenacker, 3:37.59 to 3:37.83. Aretha Hill won the discus at 64.71m, Calvin Harrison the 400m (45.02) and Hussein Al-Saba the long jump (8.23m).
Kirby Lee for the IAAF
