50,807
record crowd watch Greene vs Montgomery rivalry fired up at Penn Relays
Kirby Lee (from Penn
Relays) and Jim Dunaway (from Drake Relays) for the IAAF
28 April 2002 – Philadelphia USA – The burgeoning rivalry between America’s
World 100m record holder Maurice Greene and his compatriot Tim Montgomery,
respectively the World championship gold and silver medallists and the first and
second fastest men in the world last season, intensified on Saturday (27 April)
at the 108th Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field.
Against international quartets including Canada, Poland, Germany, Jamaica, the
US men swept the 4 x 100m, 4 x 200m and 4 x 400m relays to remain unbeaten since
this series of USA verses “The World” relays was begun three years ago.
The U.S. women dominated the 4 x 400 relay to win in the 3 minutes, 23.41
seconds, highlighted by a 50.7 anchor by Marion Jones but were outclassed by the
Jamaicans in the 4 x 100m relay.
Undoubtedly, the highlight of the afternoon was the USA’s 1-2 finish in the 4x100m relay. Of course none of the record 50,827 crowd was really shaken that the American’s took the first two places but they were surprised by the finishing order of the two home squads, with the USA “Blue” team anchored by Tim Montgomery defeating USA “Red” whose final leg runner was none other than World and Olympic champion Maurice Greene, 38.38 to 38.75 seconds.
Mickey Grimes, Bernard
Williams and Coby Miller gave Montgomery a slight lead over Greene entering the
final exchange which he was able to maintain to the finish with Greene crossing
the line seemingly in disbelief, having already suffered defeat in a similar
fashion at the Texas Relays earlier this month.
``Before the race, Maurice came up to me and gave me his vision of the race,''
Montgomery said. ``I gave my version of what the race was going to be. My vision
turned out to be the correct one today.''
Greene obviously appreciated that with opposition of Montgomery’s class you can never take anything for granted, commenting after the race - ``When you have two fast runners like me and Tim, we can't afford to give each other anything. It was a good, clean competition.''
The other members of Greene's
defeated quartet were Jon Drummond,
Tim Harden and Terrence Trammel.
Greene rebounded for a victory in the 4 x 200. He took the baton unchallenged
after legs by Ramon Clay, Bernard Williams and Terrence Trammell. Greene crossed
the line in 1:20.65. A second American team was second in 1:21.85. Jamaica was
third in 1:22.17.
``I think it was a blessing that we were all able to come together and make
something big like this happen,'' said Trammell, the 2000 Olympic silver
medalist in the 110 high hurdles. ``It shows the amount of talent that the U.S.
athletes have. Just watching it and being a part of it is one of the greatest
moments that I have ever had.''
In the 4 x 400, a USA team of Leonard Byrd, Antonio Pettigrew, Derrick Brew and
Angelo Taylor went down to the wire against Jamaica. Taylor, the 2000 Olympic
400m hurdles gold medalist Angelo Taylor, out-dueled Jamaica's Michael Blackwood
on the anchor for a 3:00.79 to 3:00.94 victory.
There was little suspense in the women's 4 x 100 with a Jamaican team of Tanya
Lawrence, Marlene Frazier, Beverly McDonald and Juliet Cuthbert speeding to
victory in 42.96. An American team of Torri Edwards, Kelli White, Inger Miller
and Chryste Gaines was second in 43.27. A second U.S. team, which was to be
anchored by Gail Devers, did not finish after a dropped baton on the exchange
between the second and third legs.
In the women's 4 x 200 relay, Jamaica appeared to be on its way to victory with
Lawrence holding a sizeable advantage over White on the change over. Lawrence,
though, tied up and collapsed just before the line allowing the American squads
to finish first and second in 1:30.87 and 1:32.52. Jamaica, which won last year,
was third in 1:33.05, much to the disappointment of a large and vocal Jamaican
flag-waving following.
``It's a good rivalry. It seems like they are the home team when you come to the
Penn Relays and we have to get up for it,'' said Gaines, a member of the U.S.
winning 4 x 200m with Miller, Edwards and White.
The
American women had plenty of incentive for the 4 x 400m after losing to Jamaica
in the 2001 World Championships, after a dropping a baton while leading in
Edmonton.
``It was a little redemption time for us,'' Miles-Clark said. ``It is always
nice to beat them on our home turf.... The crowed is so loud. If is so
electrifying out here. You can't helped but get hyped.''
Michelle Collins and Miles-Clark gave the Americans the lead from the start with
51.2 and 51.0 legs against a Jamaican team that had three members its winning
team in Edmonton. LaTasha Colander Richardson extended the advantage to 20
meters with a 50.5 leg with her training partner Jones' doubling the margin on
the anchor. An American team of Debbie Dunn, LaTasha Jenkins, Sasha Spencer and
Nicole Teter was second in 3:28.89. Jamaica was third in 3:29.04.
``It's always great to have her on the team,'' Miles-Clark said about Jones, who
anchored the USA 4x400m relay to victory in the 2000 Olympics. ``You look at
Sydney and the other athletes were afraid to go in front of her. When you have
someone on your team that they are already afraid of and you have three other
athletes to put her out in front, you can only ask for great things.''
More than 22,000 high school, college and open athletes competed in the
three-day meet that set an all-time, three-day attendance record of 112,277.
In individual events, Sydney Olympic bronze medalist Melissa Morrison won the
100 high hurdles in 12.93 and Princeton senior Tora Harris tied the meet record
in the men's high jump with a leap of 7 feet, 6 1/2 inches.
Sophomores Justin Gatlin of Tennessee and Shalene Flanagan of North Carolina
were named the college relay performers of the meet. Gatlin paced the Volunteers
to victories in the shuttle hurdles, 4 x 100 (39.08) and 4 x 200 (1:20.20)
relays. Flanagan anchored winning distance medley and 4 x 1,500 relays.
In the men's 100m, Britain's
World Championships 5th placer Dwain Chambers won in 10.31 seconds.
Cantwell is no
one hit wonder
28 April 2002 - Des
Moines, Iowa USA -- 21-year-old Christian Cantwell confirmed on Saturday (27
April) at the Drake Relays that his 21.37 shot put of a week ago was no fluke.
In cold (5 C), windy (40 kph gusts) and rainy weather, Cantwell produced the
second-best throw of his life, 21.06m, to beat a a strong field easily. Kevin
Toth was a distant second in 20.41, and Briton's Carl Myerscough was third in
19.11.
Only two of the twelve entrants in the men's pole vault could clear a height, with Derek Miles clearing 5.51 to Jeff Hartwig's 5.41. Performances in most of the featured relays and individual events were far off world standards.
