Johnson Doubly Terrific Top Sprinter Wins 200- And 400-Meter Races At Usa-Mobil Meet

Michael Johnson became the first national champion at 200 and 400 meters since 1899.

Now he needs a scheduling break to attempt an Olympic sweep at next year’s Atlanta Games.

In capturing both races Sunday at the USA-Mobil Championships, Johnson, top-ranked in the world in the 200 and 400, did what no one had done since Maxey Long in 1899.

“I was confident going in that I could do it here and at the Olympic level,” Johnson said. “Now, I’ve proven it to myself.

“If I don’t do the double next year at the Olympics, a lot of people will be disappointed. They will not see the best in the world compete against each other.”

Johnson proved to track and field’s governing body that he could win both sprints in Atlanta. He has been requesting a change in the schedule at the Olympics that would give him a shot at winning both.

The International Amateur Athletic Federation said Saturday it would readjust the schedule to give Johnson more time between races. But he said the races had to be separated.

After winning the 400 Friday night in 43.66 seconds, the fourth-fastest time ever, Johnson won the 200 Sunday in a wind-aided 19.83, the fastest under any conditions in the world this year. It was the first time anyone had run under 20 seconds and 44 seconds in those events in the same meet.

In Sunday’s 200, he overpowered a field that included 1992 Olympic champion Mike Marsh, who finished sixth.

Meanwhile, Gwen Torrence and Jackie Joyner-Kersee finished doubles in the women’s competition, while Roger Kingdom completed a stirring comeback by winning the men’s 110 hurdles. Also, Mike Powell and Carl Lewis finished 1-2 in the men’s long jump and Gail Devers won the women’s 100 hurdles.

Torrence, the 1992 Olympic 200-meter champ, won the 200 in a wind-aided 22.03, after having won the 100 Friday night in 11.04. Torrence also won both races in 1992.

Joyner-Kersee, winner of the hep-tathlon Thursday night, won her sixth straight long jump and seventh over-all with a wind-aided leap of 22 feet, 7 inches. It was Joyner-Kersee’s fifth long jump-heptathlon double in the championships.

Kingdom, the 1984 and 1988 Olympic champion who has been plagued by injuries, won his first national title since 1990 in a wind-aided 13.09.

“I had a lot to prove today,” Kingdom, 32, said after beating world indoor champion Allen Johnson, the runner-up at 13.11. “Too many people tried to write me off. After ‘96, I’ll decide when I’m going to retire. Atlanta sounds good to me, but I’ll make the decision - nobody else.”

Powell, the world record-holder and two-time world champion in the long jump, soared to a wind-aided 28-0 on his first attempt and that stood up for his fifth national title.

Lewis earned a place on the World Championship team for the fifth time - the most possible - and extended his string to nine of earning a place on every Olympic or world team since 1980.

“This was very difficult today,” Lewis said. “I ran through my first jump because I got a cramp in my calf. I cramped up almost every jump, and I was very concerned.”

Devers, the 1993 world champion in the hurdles and the 100 and the 1992 Olympic gold medalist in the sprint, earned a return trip to this year’s World Championships at Goteborg, Sweden, (Aug. 4-13) by winning the hurdles in a sparkling 12.77 despite a poor start.

Other men’s winners were NCAA champion Brandon Rock of Arkansas in the 800 at 1:46.50; Paul McMullen of Eastern Michigan in the 1,500 at 3:43.90; Charles Austin in the high jump at 7-6; Brent Noon in the shot put at 69-2, and Allen James in the 20-kilometer walk at 1:24:46.00.