Zurich Track and Field Meet : Ben Johnson (9.97) Beats Calvin Smith

Canadian Ben Johnson broke 10 seconds in the 100 meters for the third time in five races Wednesday, winning in 9.97 at the Weltklasse Grand Prix track and field meet.

Johnson, 25, who has averaged 9.975 for his last five races, never trailed as he ran into a 1.2-m.p.h. wind. Calvin Smith of the United States was second in 10.07, the fastest he has run since setting the world record of 9.93 in 1983.

Smith won the 200 meters in 20.10--the fourth fastest time in the world this year--and is hitting the level of performance that brought him the world championship in that event at Helsinki in ’83.

Also Wednesday, Kenyan Billy Konchellah surprisingly ran the fastest 800 meters in the world this year, 1:43.39; Steve Cram returned to form with a 3:31.43, the second fastest 1,500 meters of the year; West German Harald Schmid won the men’s 400-meter hurdles in 47.88; Nigerian Innocent Egbunike ran the second fastest 400 meters this year, 44.17, and Pam Marshall won the women’s 200 meters in the second fastest time this year, 22.06.

Cram, the world, Commonwealth and European champion, made a timely return to top form and scored a psychological victory over Spain’s Jose Luis Gonzales, who beat Cram early in the season at the European Cup. Cram, who won here by 15 meters, ended Gonzales’ run of 10 unbeaten races.

Schmid’s time in the 400-meter hurdles followed a 47.60 at Cologne, West Germany, Sunday--the second fastest of the year. Finishing second Wednesday was Amadou Dia Ba of Senegal in 48.60. American Danny Harris was third in 48.67 after wilting in the second half of the race. He hit the seventh, eighth and ninth hurdles and ran through the last one.

Egbunike’s time in the 400 was the fastest ever by a non-American, an African record and the second fastest run in Europe.

Eveylyn Ashford, who set the world record of 10.79 seconds in the women’s 100 meters here three years ago, pulled up 15 meters from the finish of her 100 heat after feeling a twinge in her right hamstring. She’ll run the 200 meters in the World Championships at Rome, beginning Aug. 29.

The meet began controversially when Louise Ritter was denied a U.S. high jump record by a slight breeze that knocked the bar off its supports, three seconds after she easily cleared 6 feet 8 inches. Ritter still finished first, clearing 6-7 to beat world record-holder Stefka Kostadinova and tie her own U.S. record set at Rome in 1983.

Briton Jack Buckner, the European champion, convincingly won the 5,000 meters in 13:10.48, a time beaten this year only by Said Aouita, who missed this meet because of injury.

Sergei Bubka of the Soviet Union won the pole vault by clearing 19-4, then missed three attempts at a world-record height of 19-10. Kory Tarpenning set a personal best by clearing 19-0 1/2 and France’s Thierry Vigneron was third at 18-10 1/2.

Other women winners were Jamaican Sandra Farmer, 55.05 in the 400-meter hurdles; Angella Issajenko of Canada, 11.03 in the 100 meters; Sandra Gasser of Switzerland, 4:03.08 in the 1,500 meters, and Olympic champion Maricica Puica of Romania, who won the 3,000 meters in 8:42.15, fourth fastest time of the year.