Torrence Out Of Line In 200 Final

Gwen Torrence, often the center of controversy because of her mouth, got into trouble Thursday because of her feet.

And it cost her a gold medal at the World Championships.

The outspoken Torrence finished first in the women’s 200 meters in 21.77 seconds, a time that would have been the fastest in the world this year.

As she was being interviewed about winning the gold medal and completing a sweep of the 100 and 200, the scoreboard at Ullevi Stadium flashed a revised result, showing that Torrence had been disqualified.

The U.S. team protested the decision to the International Amateur Athletic Federation, and a seven-member Jury of Appeals, headed by IAAF president Primo Nebiolo, reviewed the verdict.

“She ran several steps on the line and outside the line,” IAAF director of communications Giacomo Mazocchi said, after announcing that the protest was rejected unanimously.

“I didn’t know I had stepped on the line,” the dejected Torrence said. “This is the first time (a disqualification) has happened to me. I was clearly the victor. I know that deep in my heart.”

Torrence’s disqualification gave the gold medal to Jamaica’s Merlene Ottey, the distant runner-up in 22.11. Russia’s Irina Privalova was timed in 22.12. She originally placed third, but then was moved to second.

After collecting her 12th medal - more than any other athlete - in World Championship competition, the 35-year-old Ottey said, “I saw on TV that she ran out of her lane. That was cheating.”

Ottey was uncertain that the IAAF would overturn the disqualification.

“The U.S. is very powerful and very strong,” she said. “Remember what happened in Stuttgart?”

Ottey was referring to the last World Championships in 1993, when she and Gail Devers of the U.S. appeared to cross the finish line together in the 100-meter final. After a long discussion by the officials, Devers was declared the winner.

“Stuttgart was unfair to me,” said Ottey, now the winner of three golds, three silvers and six bronze medals at the Championships. “I thought I won - even after the photo finish.”“I don’t care,” she said. “Mine is the gold medal.”

Torrence never has endeared herself to her rivals. She antagonized them at the 1992 Olympics, claiming that some in the 100-meter final were using drugs. She did not name names, after finishing fourth behind Devers, Juliet Cuthbert of Jamaica and Privalova.

She later exonerated Cuthbert, but the Jamaican still is angry, and lashed out at Torrence at these championships, calling her “dumb” and “unintelligent.” Cuthbert’s comments came after Torrence reiterated that she still believes what she said in 1992.

Her rivals, however, concede that she is a remarkable runner. She won the 100 in the championships earlier this week in 10.85, the second-fastest time in the world this year, behind her 10.84 in the semifinals. Ottey and Privalova also finished 2-3 in that race.

“I can’t believe that she ran 21.77 into a headwind,” Ottey said. “That was spectacular.”

The 200-meter furor took precedence over the rest of the program, including a world record of 50 feet, 10-1/4 inches by Inessa Kravets of Ukraine in the women’s triple jump and American Derrick Adkins’ victory over Zambia’s Samuel Matete in the men’s 400 hurdles in 47.98.

Kravets, who held the world record in 1991, regained the mark with a sensational jump, beating the previous record by 16 inches. It was the first 50-foot jump in history.

Meanwhile, Michael Johnson continued his run toward an unprecedented men’s 200-400 double, cruising through the first two rounds of the 200 and into today’s semifinals.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: World track glance Winners: Merlene Ottey of Jamaica won the women’s 200 after Gwen Torrence of the United States was disqualified for running out of her lane. Ottey ran 22.12 seconds. Ukraine’s Inessa Kravets set a world record to win the triple jump at the World Championships Thursday, leaping 50 feet, 10-1/4 inches. Second-place Bulgarian Iva Prandzheva also betted the former record. Derrick Atkins of the United States won the 400-meter hurdles, edging Samuel Matete of Zambia and France’s Stephane Diagana in 47.98. Valentin Kononen of Finland won the 50 kilometers walk after being second two years ago and Ghada Shouaa of Syria won the heptathlon in the absence of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee. A look ahead: Finals today are the men’s 200, 3,000 steeplechase, discus, pole vault and women’s 400 hurdles.