Lewis Wins 100 in 9.98, Just a Tick Off His All-Time Best

Carl Lewis, sprint king, song stylist, trend setter in the world of fashion and coiffure, has now taken a new role: Coach. To his rivals.

Enough with this emphasis on the start, advises Coach Lewis. The key to the 100 meters is acceleration. He preached this line at the Mt. SAC Relays last month, where he ran the 100 in 9.90 seconds with the aid of wind that was slightly over the allowable. In that race, he got a an un-Lewis-like sluggish start and was slightly behind at 50 meters. He calmly ran down the field to win comfortably.

Despite the fast time and seemingly easy win, Lewis was constantly asked about his “slow start.” He took offense to that characterization and allowed as how his catch-up style has forced other sprinters to change their style.

Don’t worry about the start, he’s been telling other sprinters.

So far, they are lending only half an ear to his advice.

Saturday at the S&W; Modesto Invitational, Lewis gave a repeat performance, complete with a rare false start. He won in 9.98, just off his personal best of 9.97, set here on the fast Modesto Junior College track two years ago. The world record is held by Calvin Smith at 9.93.

Lewis had predicted a fast time here, perhaps even a world record, if the conditions were right. That means an aiding wind, but one that’s under the allowable of 2 meters per second. Saturday, it was just about right. There was an aiding wind of 1.52 m.p.s.

Lewis false-started, then, on the second start, the runners were called back because of a malfunction of the starter’s gun. On the third start, Lewis was out of the blocks in fourth or fifth position. Just when the crowd was beginning to think an upset was in the making, the quadruple-gold medalist accelerated to win going away.

“I ran my same race, but it seemed like everybody didn’t try to get out hard,” Lewis said from somewhere inside the human wall that surrounds him each time he ventures out in public. “I think people were really holding back at the start. I keep telling people that you can’t win a 100 in the first 30 meters.”

At this stage, Lewis’ competitors are grateful for any tidbit he may toss their way. He certainly was impressive, in only his third race of the season. He got a hard run from USC’s Darwin Cook, who was second in 10.10. Harvey Glance, who had anchored a 400-meter relay 45 minutes before, was third in 10.15.

In other action:

--Olympic champion Roger Kingdom easily won the 110 hurdles in a personal best time of 13.14., in a race with the ghost of rival Greg Foster. Foster, the silver medalist, was scheduled to run but did not show. For Kingdom, it’s been a frustrating chase to race Foster outdoors this season.

“It’s always a pleasure to run against him, he’s one of the greatest hurdlers in the world,” Kingdom said. “I’ll be glad when we meet, but I’m not going to press it.”

--For the fifth time this year, Jud Logan set an American record in the hammer--for about 10 minutes. Logan’s throw of 255 feet was legal, but apparently the hammer was not. Although Logan’s hammer had been weighed and measured and deemed legal prior to the competition, when the implement was impounded for re-inspection after the record throw, it was determined that the wire from the handle to the ball was too long--by less than a centimeter.

Meet officials made the measurement with a homemade measuring device, which didn’t engender much confidence among the competitors.

Logan shrugged off the incident, saying he didn’t want to create a controversy but added, “I feel kind of helpless. I’m not convinced about the device they used to measure it. If it had been my first record or what I envision as the perfect throw, I’d be more upset.”

Logan and the other throwers were treated to an enthusiastic reception from the 450 fans who ringed the throwing field adjacent to the stadium. Logan, 25, has toned down his pre-competition ritual somewhat. In past years he would stalk the throwing area, slapping himself in the face. He also has abandoned his personal tape player, on which used to play “Flashdance” at high volume to psych himself up.

--Merlene Ottey-Page won the women’s 100 in a fast 10.94. Valerie Brisco-Hooks was second in 11.14.

--Olympic silver medalist Kirk Baptiste won the 200 in 20.34.

--Steve Scott outkicked Paul Rugut to win the mile in 3:59.65.

--Johnny Gray ran 1:47.55 to win a close decision over David Mack in the 800 meters.