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Crawford wins gold as U.S. dominates the 200
ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Shawn Crawford and two U.S. teammates overcame the first hint of anti-Americanism at the Olympic track, capping a big night for U.S. athletes by sweeping the 200 meters despite a booing, rowdy crowd.
In a race missing disgraced Greek hero and defending Olympic champion Kostas Kenteris, Crawford ran a personal-best 19.79 seconds. That was just good enough to edge Bernard Williams, who tied his personal best of 20.01 seconds for silver. Justin Gatlin, the 100 champion, won bronze in 20.03.
Dwight Phillips earlier led a 1-2 American finish in the men's long jump, with NCAA champion John Moffitt taking the silver. In the first round of the 400-meter relay, Marion Jones ran the second leg as the U.S. team's 41.67 matched its own best time in the world this year.
Olympic Stadium was packed, largely because Greeks thought they would be watching Kenteris, who withdrew from the Athens Games after missing a drug test.
The start of the 200 was delayed for four minutes because hostile spectators were whistling in derision and chanting "Kenteris" and "Hellas, Hellas" -- the Greek word for Greece. They booed loudest when the Americans were introduced.
Crawford and Williams were doing a victory lap, draped together in an American flag, when Phillips climbed the victory stand to accept his gold medal. The sprinters stopped on the track as "The Star-Spangled Banner" was played. Williams put his right hand over his heart.
The victory by Crawford, a flamboyant personality who was unusually subdued after the finish, gave controversial coach Trevor Graham a sweep of the men's short sprints.
Crawford and Gatlin are training partners under Graham, who acknowledged on the night of Gatlin's 100-meter victory that he was the coach who sent a syringe of a mystery steroid to anti-doping authorities last year -- giving momentum to the drug scandal that has swept the sport.
It was the sixth time the United States has taken all three 200 medals -- the previous sweep was led by Carl Lewis in 1984.
Phillips won the long jump with a leap of 28 feet, 21/4 inches on his first attempt. Moffitt won silver with a jump of 27-91/2. Joan Lino Martinez of Spain took the bronze medal.
Felix Sanchez won the Dominican Republic's first Olympic gold medal, capturing the 400-meter hurdles in more of a coronation than a triumph. Sanchez has not lost in more than three years, winning two world championships during that span, and dominates his event more than any other track and field athlete.
Sanchez, who was born in New York and raised in San Diego, won in 47.63. Danny McFarlane of Jamaica took silver in 48.11 and Naman Keita was third in 48.26. James Carter faded badly to fourth in the final stretch, and U.S. teammate Bennie Brazell was last.
Also Thursday, Terrence Trammell advanced to the final of the 110-meter hurdles, but U.S. teammate Duane Ross failed to make it out of the semifinals. Allen Johnson, the four-time world champion and a medal favorite, fell in the second round on Wednesday.
France's Ladji Doucoure ran the fastest time of 13.06 in the semifinals. Trammell, a silver medalist in Sydney, tied for second fastest with 13.17. Also reaching the final were defending champion Anier Garcia of Cuba and medal favorite Liu Xiang of China.
In the 400-meter relay, Jones took the baton and sped down the straightaway. By the time she handed it off to 100-meter silver medalist Lauryn Williams, the United States was well on its way to winning the heat.
The race may have implications long after the Olympics. Jones is under investigation by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, and if she is found guilty of using banned drugs it could impact any medal the team might win.
Jones has not been charged with doping and had repeatedly denied she ever used performance-enhancing substances. But her ex-husband, former shot putter C.J. Hunter, reportedly has told federal agents she used banned drugs before, during and after the Sydney Games.
USA Track & Field officials decided to use Jones despite the drug cloud surrounding her and the precedent of the Jerome Young case.
Young ran on the victorious 1,600 relay in Sydney after testing positive for steroids a year earlier. He was stripped of his medal in June and the world governing body of track and field has recommended that the entire U.S. team -- including Michael Johnson -- forfeit the gold.
U.S. Olympic Committee chief executive Jim Scherr said before the games began that USATF officials should keep the Young case in mind as they decided on relay squads for the Athens Games.
"They have that benefit of hindsight now, and we would hope they exercise it judiciously," he said.
On Friday night, Jones will compete in the long jump final and the relay -- her only events of the Athens Games.
She won five medals at the 2000 Sydney Games, but failed to qualify this summer in the 100 and dropped out of the 200 at the U.S. Olympic trials. Jones won both sprints in Sydney, where she also led the 1,600-meter relay team to gold.
Jones towers over the other three members of the team -- Williams, Angela Williams and LaTasha Colander. She's also the resident senior citizen.
"This team is a lot different than four years ago. They're young, they're fresh, they're excited about every little thing, and that brings a little more excitement to it all," Jones said. "I'm only 28 but I feel like the old lady of the bunch."
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...x.html?cnn=yes
Crawford wins gold as U.S. dominates the 200
ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Shawn Crawford and two U.S. teammates overcame the first hint of anti-Americanism at the Olympic track, capping a big night for U.S. athletes by sweeping the 200 meters despite a booing, rowdy crowd.
In a race missing disgraced Greek hero and defending Olympic champion Kostas Kenteris, Crawford ran a personal-best 19.79 seconds. That was just good enough to edge Bernard Williams, who tied his personal best of 20.01 seconds for silver. Justin Gatlin, the 100 champion, won bronze in 20.03.
Dwight Phillips earlier led a 1-2 American finish in the men's long jump, with NCAA champion John Moffitt taking the silver. In the first round of the 400-meter relay, Marion Jones ran the second leg as the U.S. team's 41.67 matched its own best time in the world this year.
Olympic Stadium was packed, largely because Greeks thought they would be watching Kenteris, who withdrew from the Athens Games after missing a drug test.
The start of the 200 was delayed for four minutes because hostile spectators were whistling in derision and chanting "Kenteris" and "Hellas, Hellas" -- the Greek word for Greece. They booed loudest when the Americans were introduced.
Crawford and Williams were doing a victory lap, draped together in an American flag, when Phillips climbed the victory stand to accept his gold medal. The sprinters stopped on the track as "The Star-Spangled Banner" was played. Williams put his right hand over his heart.
The victory by Crawford, a flamboyant personality who was unusually subdued after the finish, gave controversial coach Trevor Graham a sweep of the men's short sprints.
Crawford and Gatlin are training partners under Graham, who acknowledged on the night of Gatlin's 100-meter victory that he was the coach who sent a syringe of a mystery steroid to anti-doping authorities last year -- giving momentum to the drug scandal that has swept the sport.
It was the sixth time the United States has taken all three 200 medals -- the previous sweep was led by Carl Lewis in 1984.
Phillips won the long jump with a leap of 28 feet, 21/4 inches on his first attempt. Moffitt won silver with a jump of 27-91/2. Joan Lino Martinez of Spain took the bronze medal.
Felix Sanchez won the Dominican Republic's first Olympic gold medal, capturing the 400-meter hurdles in more of a coronation than a triumph. Sanchez has not lost in more than three years, winning two world championships during that span, and dominates his event more than any other track and field athlete.
Sanchez, who was born in New York and raised in San Diego, won in 47.63. Danny McFarlane of Jamaica took silver in 48.11 and Naman Keita was third in 48.26. James Carter faded badly to fourth in the final stretch, and U.S. teammate Bennie Brazell was last.
Also Thursday, Terrence Trammell advanced to the final of the 110-meter hurdles, but U.S. teammate Duane Ross failed to make it out of the semifinals. Allen Johnson, the four-time world champion and a medal favorite, fell in the second round on Wednesday.
France's Ladji Doucoure ran the fastest time of 13.06 in the semifinals. Trammell, a silver medalist in Sydney, tied for second fastest with 13.17. Also reaching the final were defending champion Anier Garcia of Cuba and medal favorite Liu Xiang of China.
In the 400-meter relay, Jones took the baton and sped down the straightaway. By the time she handed it off to 100-meter silver medalist Lauryn Williams, the United States was well on its way to winning the heat.
The race may have implications long after the Olympics. Jones is under investigation by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, and if she is found guilty of using banned drugs it could impact any medal the team might win.
Jones has not been charged with doping and had repeatedly denied she ever used performance-enhancing substances. But her ex-husband, former shot putter C.J. Hunter, reportedly has told federal agents she used banned drugs before, during and after the Sydney Games.
USA Track & Field officials decided to use Jones despite the drug cloud surrounding her and the precedent of the Jerome Young case.
Young ran on the victorious 1,600 relay in Sydney after testing positive for steroids a year earlier. He was stripped of his medal in June and the world governing body of track and field has recommended that the entire U.S. team -- including Michael Johnson -- forfeit the gold.
U.S. Olympic Committee chief executive Jim Scherr said before the games began that USATF officials should keep the Young case in mind as they decided on relay squads for the Athens Games.
"They have that benefit of hindsight now, and we would hope they exercise it judiciously," he said.
On Friday night, Jones will compete in the long jump final and the relay -- her only events of the Athens Games.
She won five medals at the 2000 Sydney Games, but failed to qualify this summer in the 100 and dropped out of the 200 at the U.S. Olympic trials. Jones won both sprints in Sydney, where she also led the 1,600-meter relay team to gold.
Jones towers over the other three members of the team -- Williams, Angela Williams and LaTasha Colander. She's also the resident senior citizen.
"This team is a lot different than four years ago. They're young, they're fresh, they're excited about every little thing, and that brings a little more excitement to it all," Jones said. "I'm only 28 but I feel like the old lady of the bunch."
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