Johnson Nears Double Dip At Nationals Wins 400 In 43.66, Begins Quest For 200 Title Today
Michael Johnson took the first step toward his quest for an unprecedented sprint double at the USAMobil Championships, blazing to victory in the 400 meters in 43.66 seconds Friday night.
Johnson’s scintillating performance, the fourth-fastest clocking ever and the fastest ever in the United States, was his 41st consecutive victory, indoors or outdoors, since 1990.
It came shortly after Mike Marsh won a three-man blanket finish in the men’s 100, with neither world record-holder Leroy Burrell nor three-time world champion Carl Lewis in the mix. Burrell finished fifth and Lewis sixth.
No one ever has won the 200 and 400 meters in the same championships, although Maxey Long won the 220- and 440-yard dashes at the 1899 championships at Brighton, Mass.
Johnson, ranked No. 1 in the world in the 200 and 400 for the third time last year, will begin his chase for the 200 title today in the prelims and semifinals. The final is Sunday.
Johnson eased with about 15 meters remaining, turning sideways and strutting across the finish line.
Had Johnson not slowed at the finish, he might have broken Reynolds’ world record of 43.29.
Marsh, the 1992 Olympic 200-meter champion, closed fast to edge unheralded Maurice Greene and defending champion Dennis Mitchell. Marsh was timed in 10.222, Greene in 10.224 and Mitchell in 10.230 while running into a headwind. It was the slowest winning time since 1984.
Gwen Torrence, troubled by a tear in the lower right hamstring, survived to win the women’s 100 in 11.04, the third-fastest time of the year.
After the finish, Torrence appeared to stumble and limped off the track, escorted by her husband.
In other finals, Bob Kennedy won the men’s 5,000 in 13:19.99, the fastest by an American this year; Lynn Jennings earned her fourth straight women’s 10,000-meter title and fifth overall in 31:57.19; Lance Deal took his fourth men’s hammer throw title and third in a row at 254-10; Mike Buncic won the men’s discus at 212-8 with NCAA champion John Godina second at 211-11, and Donna Mayhew won her fourth straight women’s javelin title and fifth overall at 194-1.
Rogers High School graduate Sarah Schwald, now running for Arkansas, was fifth in her semifinal of the women’s 1,500 at 4:17.37 and narrowly missed advancing to the finals.