Iaaf Aids Johnson, Lewis

With the start of the Olympics just four months off, the International Amateur Athletic Federation finalized a schedule aimed at aiding the cause of American athletes Michael Johnson and Carl Lewis.

For the most part, the shuffling took place to accommodate Johnson’s request to complete the 400 meters before having to start preliminary rounds in the 200. The 28-year-old Texan hopes to become the first man in history to win both events at the same Olympics.

The IAAF response was to move the start of the 400 meters up a day to July 26. In addition, Johnson would now have the benefit of a scheduled off day before starting the 200 prelims on July 31.

The men’s long jump was moved up three days as a concession to Lewis, who will also attempt to qualify in the 100 or 200.

Reversing its previously stubborn policy, the International Amateur Athletic Federation decided to drop a doping case against British 800-meter runner Diane Modahl.

The decision announced by IAAF secretary general Istvan Gyulai means that Modahl - a Commonwealth champion - can compete at the Atlanta Olympics if she qualifies for the British team.

Modahl tested positive for 42 times the legal amount of testosterone. But the results were not sent to the British Athletic Federation until more than nine weeks later.

The BAF and IAAF then banned her, but Modahl protested the urine samples had been contaminated at the laboratory in Lisbon and that testing procedures were flawed.