Ashford Is a Winner in Return : Olympic Champion Scores a Victory in 55-Meter Dash

Evelyn Ashford, 1984 Olympic 100-meter champion, made a triumphant return to track competition Saturday night, scoring a victory in the women’s 55-meter dash in the U.S. Olympic Invitational at the Meadowlands Arena.

Ashford had not competed since Aug. 31, 1984, taking time off for the birth of her first child. A daughter, Raina, was born last May. After her victory, Ashford took Raina from the hands of her husband, Ray Washington, and carried her on a victory lap.

Ashford won in 6.68 seconds, while Merlene Ottey-Page, the bronze medalist for Jamaica in the Olympic 100, finished a close second in 6.70.

In the women’s 400, Diane Dixon led all the way in winning in 52.13 and breaking her own American record of 52.20, set last year at New York. The world indoor best is 49.59, set by Jarmila Kratochvilova of Czechoslovakia in 1982.

The men’s 55 meters, won by Ben Johnson of Canada in meet-record time of 6.05, was run without Olympic quadruple gold medalist Carl Lewis, who pulled out when he discovered he would have to run in a qualifying heat.

Lewis said he was under the impression there would be no heats. When he reached the arena and found out that he would have to run a heat, he withdrew. The announcement of his withdrawal was greeted with a loud chorus of boos from the crowd of 12,914.

Lewis, however, won the long jump at 27-5 1/2, extending his winning streak to 45 in the event, indoors and outdoors. He also sang the national anthem and did commentary for superstation WTBS.

LaVonna Martin of the University of Tennessee scored an upset in the women’s 55-meter high hurdles, beating five-time meet champion Stephanie Hightower. Martin was timed in 7.54.