Old timers share the spotlight at US Olympic trials

HAS Carl Lewis been around forever? No, it just sometimes seems that way. The story of the US Olympic Trials wasn't solely the magnificence of Michael Johnson - clocking a world record in the 200 metres (19.66 seconds) and the third fastest time ever in the 400 (43.44) - but a major chapter centred on the wonderful comebacks and perseverance of Lewis, 37 year old Mary Slaney and a handful of other old timers.

Once every four years, the Americans gather for an intra squad squabble over spots on their Olympic team. Only the top three finishers at the trials are rewarded, no matter what. There is no special treatment, no automatic berths for Lewis or other legends.

On the eve of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, decathlete Dan O'Brien killed his Olympic dream - not to mention a $25 million Reebok ad campaign when he noheighted in the pole and failed to make the US team. This time around, the world record holder cleared a personal best 5.20 metres in the vault to guarantee himself a berth in the Games.

"This is a relief," O'Brien said.

Battling the summer humidity and heat - which at times hit 95 degrees O'Brien and the other athletes still managed some stellar performances, including:

Slaney, who first arrived on the international scene as a pigtailed 14 year old, courageously rallying over the final lap of the 5,000 metres to secure second place and a spot on the Olympic team;

Sprint queen Gwen Torrence, an Atlanta native, enhanced her Olympic status with an impressive victory in the 100 metres, though failing to earn a spot in the 200;

And Jackie Joyner Kersee winning the long jump and finishing second in the hepthathlon.

In the 1992 Olympics, Gail Devers stumbled coming off the final hurdle and lost her gold medal, but she's earned another trip to the Games. Again, Devers finds herself in both the 100 hurdles and the 100 metres sprint, where she finished second at the trials to long time rival Torrence. After a frustrating fourth place finish in Barcelona, it was Torrence who fuelled the fires by suggesting Devers and other medallists of using performance enhancing drugs.

So, one of the testy Olympic showdowns figures to be Torrence Devers II.

"It's going to be like Affirmed and Alydar," said Devers' coach, Bobby Kersee, referring to the two famous American racehorses. "I just hope we win it by a nose."

While most of the marquee athletes return to Atlanta next month for the Games, Kevin Young (400 hurdles) and Leroy Burrell (100 metres) - world record holders in their respective event - both failed to make the US team. The same for two time Olympic gold medallist Roger Kingdom (110 hurdles) and America's premier middle distance runner, Steve Holman, a shocking 13th in the 1,500 metres.

For a brief spell, Lewis also faced the prospective of having to view the Centennial Games from the stands, or perhaps a seat in the television broadcast booth.

The 34 year old Lewis, winner of eight gold medals in three Olympics, cramped badly and finished last in the 100 metre final, only to later make a fifth Olympic team in the long jump. Now, the icon of US track has a chance to join Al Oerter (discus) as the only Olympian to win four gold medals in the same event.

"This is my baby, my favourite event," said Lewis of the long jump. "No matter what happens, I'm just happy to leave the trials with my head up, to be an Olympian again."

Just two days before qualifying third in the long jump, Lewis was near tears after bringing up the rear in the 100 metres. His introduction brought a roar from the Olympic stadium crowd. This would be his last 100 metres at a major championship, he would say later.

"I almost cried as I was getting into my starting blocks," he said. "My whole career flashed in front of me. To me, my race was won right there."

The real winner was Dennis Mitchell, the most consistent of US sprinters, clocking a season leading 9.92.

Apparently lacking in his Olympic geography, Mitchell later said over the public address system: "I'm Barcelona bound."

But that's OK, Mitchell performed admirably on a track that might be the fastest in the world. An extremely hard, fast surface, the track has a shock absorption rating of 35.6 per cent - close to the international minimum of 35 per cent. All told, 10 world leading times for this season were turned in during the US Olympic Trials.

Most impressive, of course, was Michael Johnson. Hoping to become the first man to win both the 200 and 400 metres at the same Olympics, the 28 year old sprinter turned the trials into a personal highlight show. First, he toyed with world record holder Butch Reynolds in the 400 final and later ran a wind aided 19.70 (2.7 metres per second) second fastest ever under any conditions in the semi finals of the 200 metres.

With a night's sleep, Johnson returned to blaze the 200 metres in 19.66, tearing down Pietro Mennea's 17 year old mark of 19.72 the oldest record in track and field.

"It was a perfect day, a perfect race," said Johnson, whose record came in his eighth race at the trials. "Every race it seemed something happened to build my confidence.

"I have to believe that if I come in fresh to a race, I can run even better than 19.66. I've got to get to Europe and race more. I think I can improve on the 200."

Johnson plans to compete in two or three European meets before the Games. At or before the Atlanta Olympics, he believes he's capable of taking Reynolds' 400 metre record and lowering his own 200 mark.

"When you have great competition like that, the world record could go down again," Johnson said. "I feel capable of 19.58 (200 metres).

"I just want to make a spot for myself in track and field history."