Cruz, Marsh Are Winners in Swiss Track Meet

Olympic gold medalist Joaquim Cruz of Brazil, in his first European race of the year, won the 800 meters at Wednesday’s international track and field meet.

Cruz won the tight race in 1 minute 45.41 seconds, beating Peter Braun of West Germany by 32-hundredths of a second and Eugene Sanders of the United States by 58-hundredths.

Joseph Mahmoud of France, although saying before the event that he was shooting for a world record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, settled for second place, 1.03 seconds behind Henry Marsh. The American won in 8:18.15, more than 12 seconds short of the record.

Olympic silver medalist Judy Brown-King of the United States won the women’s 400 meters in 52.33, outdistancing Spain’s Blanca Lacambra by more than a half-second.

Romania’s Maricica Puica, 3,000-meter winner in the Los Angeles Olympics, held off Cornelia Buerki of Switzerland in the women’s 1,500 meters, winning in 4:02.54.

As expected, Harald Schmid of West Germany, Olympic silver medalist and European champion, won the 400-meter hurdles in 48.67, edging Amadou Dia Ba of Senegal.