Stockholm Track : Brisco-Hooks Opens With Two Wins

Triple Olympic champion Valerie Brisco-Hooks opened her Grand Prix track and field campaign Tuesday by winning both the 200 and 400 meters at the DN Galan meet.

Six other Americans prevailed at the Olympic Stadium, including half-miler Johnny Gray, who edged world record-holder Sebastian Coe of England to win the 800 meters in 1 minute 43.85 seconds. It was the fastest time of the year.

Coe, a two-time Olympic champion in the 1,500 meters, was second in 1:44.17 and Jose Luis Barbosa of Brazil third in 1:44.62.

Competing only for the second time outdoors this season, Brisco-Hooks won the 200 in 22.23 seconds. Then, 90 minutes later, she breezed to a 50.72 clocking in the 400.

“I was pleased with the win in the 400 meters. The 200 was more of a strategy race,” Brisco-Hooks said.

“But I won’t probably peak until the Nice meet (on July 15) when I have more races. Right now I’m running myself into shape with races.”

In the men’s 5,000, Said Aouita won with a tremendous last-lap kick. Aouita broke away from a bunch of runners on the gun lap, then held off Vincent Rousseau of Belgium to hit the tape in 13 minutes 19.43 seconds.

It was the fastest time of the year but well off Aouita’s world record of 13:00.40 set a year ago in Oslo.

Sydney Maree, who had history’s second-fastest 5,000 (13:01.15) at Oslo last year, wound up 12th in 13:31.87. Doug Padilla, the men’s Grand prix overall leader last year and winner of the 5,000-meter point standings, was 19th out of 21 finishers in 13:46.26.

In the women’s javelin, Petra Felke of East Germany produced the third world-best mark of the season by winning with a throw of 238 feet 8 inches. Her world record is 247-4.

East Germany picked up two other victories. Udo Beyer took the shotput with a heave of 71-1 1/2 and Cornelia Oschkenat led the East Germans to a sweep of the women’s 100-meter hurdles in 12.66.

Other American winners included Danny Harris, Roy Martin, Sunder Nix, Tom Petranoff and Jeanette Bolden.

Harris won the 400-meter hurdles in 48.95; Martin clocked 10.42 into the wind to edge fellow American Lorenzo Daniel in the 100; former world record-holder Petranoff tossed the javelin 270-4 inches; Nix took the 400 in 44.84 and Bolden prevailed in the women’s 100 in 11.26.

Also, Olympic 3,000-meter champion Maricica Puica of Romania cruised to a four-second victory in the 1,500 in 4:00.38.

Julius Korir of Kenya, another Olympic champion, kicked strongly to win the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 8:18.90, finishing ahead of Graeme Fell of Canada and veteran Henry Marsh of the United States.