Coghlan Pulls Another Inside Job; 16th in Row

Eamonn Coghlan may still be the Chairman of the Boards, but look for a corporate takeover soon. He has won 16 consecutive indoor mile races, and the pretenders inch closer every time. Still, for all the world’s talent crammed into the event, the wily Irishman manages to win every time.

He won the mile Friday night at the Michelob Invitational in the Friday’s Meet

San Diego Sports Arena in 3 minutes 57.5 seconds, but the expected world record was never a threat. It was a meet, witnessed by 10,005 fans, in which records fell in unexpected places. Johnny Gray set an indoor record of 1:46.9 in the 880-yard run, and Valerie Brisco-Hooks set an indoor record of 1:02.3 in the women’s 500-yard run.

For the mile, meet organizers had arranged for two “rabbits”--runners who sacrifice themselves by running for a few laps at a prearranged pace, then drop out. To further facilitate a record (Coghlan holds the mark at 3:49.78) a field deep with talent was assembled: American record-holder Steve Scott, former world record-holder Sydney Maree and world indoor champion Mike Hillardt of Australia.

Hillardt finished second in 3:58.4, Scott was third in 3:58.7 and Maree, who had predicted a personal-best time for himself, missed it by about seven seconds, finishing fourth in 3:59.

Maree, not known as a superior indoor runner, has been storming through this indoor season with remarkable power and speed. A hamstring injury to his left leg kept Maree, who was third at the Olympic trials, from competing in the Games.

The injury has given new meaning to the indoor season for him. “It was difficult for me to watch other athletes training, knowing I could barely walk,” Maree said recently. “It has made me hungry.”

Now he’s famished. Last week at the Olympic Invitational, Maree boldly and uncharacteristically took the lead after two laps. That move tends to upset the chemistry of any race Coghlan enters. Coghan is a kicker, and he gets irritated when someone attempts to copy his trademark.

Last week, as Maree blew past, Coghlan shadowed him, running on his shoulder. Then, as is his signature, he accelerated in the stretch and won. Coghlan’s time was 3:52.37. Maree’s 3:52.40 was his indoor best.

But the loss has grated on Maree.

“I knew Sydney was anxious to set a world record,” Coghlan said after Friday night’s race. “But I don’t think he felt as well as he expected to. I felt good, but if the early pace had been faster I could have done 3:53.”

The lead changed hands several times through the race. At one point, with less than two laps to go, Coghlan nearly tripped over Tom Smith, the runner in front of him.

Gray’s disappointing seventh-place finish in the Olympic 800 meters shook the unassuming 24-year-old right down to his spikes. He had little confidence and less respect.

Transforming that into motivation, Gray went to Europe on the post-Olympic circuit and broke or equalled the 800-meter American record four times.

Friday night, in his last indoor race of the season, Gray showed what his accumulated confidence could do. He took the race out, ran hard and cruised in. He shattered the former 880-yard indoor record of 1:47.97, held by Randy Wilson.

“I’m overjoyed right now and very happy,” Gray said. “I had been running well. I just had my confidence built up. I was telling my friends that I was going to bring home the record. It was easy.”

The roar of the crowd over Gray’s record had barely subsided when Brisco-Hooks brought the noise level to another crescendo as she set out on record pace in the seldom-run 500 yards.

Brisco-Hooks, a powerful yet graceful runner, pulled practically the entire field with her. Both second-place finisher Diane Dixon and third-place Cristina Cojacaru of Romania had times that were under the former record held of 1:03.3 by Roslyn Bryant.

Other highlights from the meet:

--Doug Padilla established an American record in the two-mile, running 8:15.3 to better his own record of 8:16.5. Padilla’s time was also the second-fastest in history. En route, he tied his 3,000-meter American indoor record of 7:44.9.

--Doina Melinte ran a scorching final quarter to win the women’s mile in 4:29.2. The Olympic gold medalist at 800 meters and silver medalist at 1,500 out-kicked fellow Romanian Maricica Puica.

--Romania’s Fita Lovin won the women’s 880 with an excellent time of 2:00.3.

--Canada’s Debbie Brill won the women’s high jump at 6-3.

--Hurdler Greg Foster won both the 50 and 60-yard hurdles. His 6.01 in the 50 is the fifth-fastest ever.

--In the women’s long jump, a pair of Romanians reversed their Olympic placings. Valy Ionescu, the silver medalist, won with a 21-7 1/2. Outdoor world record-holder and Olympic champion Anisorara Cusmir-Stanciu was second with 21-2 1/2.