London Grand Prix Track and Field Meet : Puica Sets Record in 2,000; Lewis and Ashford Win

Maricica Puica of Romania set a world record in the women’s 2,000 meters Friday, while Carl Lewis and Evelyn Ashford both scored sprint victories during the eighth meet of this season’s IAAF-Mobil Grand Prix.

On a rain-swept night before a crowd of 16,000 at Crystal Palace stadium, triple Olympic champion Valerie Brisco-Hooks incurred a rare defeat at 400 meters, Calvin Smith won the 100 meters with a time of 10.19 seconds, and British middle distance runners Steve Cram and Sebastian Coe both coasted home comfortably in their respective races.

Puica, 35, the Olympic 3,000-meter champion, burst away from Britain’s Zola Budd and Yvonne Murray in the final 200 meters for a time of 5:28.69, cutting three-hundredths of a second off Tatyana Kazinkina’s two-year-old record.

Puica, who won despite a tightening in her leg, said: “During the second lap, a leg muscle contracted a little and I developed a cramp in the calf.”

Murray was second in 5:29.58, Budd third in 5:30.19.

Lewis, quadruple Olympic champion in Los Angeles, shrugged off defeat by Canadian Ben Johnson in the Goodwill Games 100 meters at Moscow by winning the 200 meters in 20.63. John Dinan of Australia was second in 20.83.

Nigeria’s Chidi Imoh, who finished second ahead of Lewis in the Moscow 100, slipped in his blocks and pulled up just after the start of Friday’s race.

“Imoh pulled up, thinking we would be recalled,” Lewis said. “He jumped and then stopped. I slowed down but saw the pack was still coming, so I took off again. It took the edge off my race.”

Ashford continued her impressive comeback after having a baby last year by winning the women’s 200 meters in 22.26. Pam Marshall, who crossed the line second, was disqualified for running out of her lane.

Brisco-Hooks was fourth in the women’s 400 meters, one of her Olympic gold medal distances.

Running the event for the first time this year, she lacked power off the final bend and was beaten by Lillie Leatherwood, Diane Dixon and Australia’s Debbie Flintoff.

Cram, world record-holder in the mile and 2,000 meters, sat back for 1 1/2 laps before unleashing a burst of speed to win the 1,000 meters in 2:15.77, with Earl Jones second in 2:17.25.

Coe, with a time of 1:44.10 convincingly defeated Johnny Gray in the 800 meters.

Other winners included Greg Foster in the 110-meter hurdles (13.39) and Australian Darren Clark (44.99), who beat Nigeria’s Innocent Egbunike (45.09) in the 400 meters.