Grand Prix Track and Field Finals : Campbell Beats Foster in Hurdles for Third Time This Year--by .01

While the world’s best 110-meter high hurdler, Greg Foster, won the year’s most prestigious race, the second-best high hurdler, Tonie Campbell, had to wait until after midnight to see it tape-delayed on television in his Los Angeles home. It was of no small consolation to him that his fiancee was there at the time to hold his hand.

Campbell was more consoled Friday night in the Mobil GrandPrix Final at Heysel Stadium, where he scored a dramatic victory over Foster.

After trailing for 109 meters, Campbell surged ahead in the 110th to win by one-hundreth of a second, 13.35 to 13.36. Canadian Mark McKoy was third in 13.42.

It was not a particularly fast race, as both Campbell and Foster have run 13.19 this year, tied for the best in the world.

But Campbell, 27, said he believes the victory was one of the most significant of his career.

“I think I showed everyone I should have been in Rome,” said Campbell, who was not in the World Championships last week because he stumbled over a hurdle in June at the trials for the U.S. team and did not finish among the top three.

“I would have at least medaled, if not won, at the World Championships,” he said.

Asked if he believes he could have beaten Foster in Rome, Campbell said, “I can beat Greg Foster.”

As far as Foster is concerned, Campbell can say anything he likes, which he did following his victory Friday night, adding insult to defeat.

But Foster feels invulnerable now. He won in Rome, finishing ahead of two British hurdlers, Jon Ridgeon and Colin Jackson. Ridgeon did not compete here, while Jackson finished fourth in 13.48.

“I couldn’t care less about losing this race,” Foster said. “I’m still number one in the world. I’m still the world champion. That was my goal for the year.”

Foster, 29, did not even seem to care that the loss cost him $12,000. By winning Friday night, Campbell not only earned $10,000 as the high hurdler with the most victories on the 16-meet Grand Prix circuit this summer but also an additional $25,000 as the male athlete with the most points in the overall standings.

Foster earned $23,000, $8,000 for finishing second in the high hurdles and $15,000 for finishing second overall. Soviet pole vaulter Sergei Bubka was third overall, earning $20,000.

Jamaican sprinter Merlene Ottey, who competes for the Los Angeles Track Club, earned $35,000 as the women’s overall winner. Bulgarian high jumper Stefka Kostadinova won $25,000 for second place, and Swiss miler Sandra Gasser picked up $20,000 for third.

“It would have been nice to have $35,000 to put in my (swimming) pool,” Foster said. “But I still won $23,000. How much does it cost to put in a pool?”

Campbell said he will use his money for a December wedding and a down payment on a house about three miles from Foster’s in Ontario, Calif. But while they have been cordial through the years, Foster might not invite his new neighbor over for a swim after some of the things Campbell said about him Friday night.

This was Campbell’s third victory this year over Foster, the second in a major race. Campbell also won the 60-meter high hurdles in the World Indoor Championships last February at Indianapolis.

But Foster has refused to include the first two as losses because he did not finish the races, falling at Indianapolis and pulling up last month at London.

Campbell bristled when Foster said Friday night’s loss was his first of the year.

“For him to say he hasn’t lost before, that’s a lie,” Campbell said. “If you’re in the race and you don’t win, you’ve lost.

“But Greg is a genius. He knows that DNFs (did not finish) are not included when the rankings at the end of the year are being considered.

“So whenever he’s stressed and someone’s coming up on him, something happens and he falls. You know that whenever he is losing, Greg is going down.

“Then he says he’s hurt. He must be the messiah, healing himself, the way he keeps coming back from injuries. Who knows what his excuse will be this time?

“I’m sorry. Greg’s my friend. He’s a superb hurdler. But we don’t always see eye-to-eye. If he’s a true champion, he’s got to learn how to lose graciously.”

Campbell said he had to seek out Foster after the race to shake his hand.

“Greg should have congratulated me,” Campbell said. “But because I respect his talent and am concerned about him, I found him and shook his hand. He wouldn’t take the initiative. Is that a gracious loser?”

Campbell had other questions Friday night, such as whether anyone agreed that the United States should change its selection process for World Championship and Olympic teams so that highly-ranked athletes will not be left behind. Berths on the team are for those who finished among the top three in their events at the trials.

“If you’re going to call it a World Championship, don’t leave some of your best at home,” he said.

Campbell proved again Friday night he is one of the best. Unfortunately for him, he was three months late.

Track and Field Notes

For the second time in a week since the World Championships, Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis ran the same event in a meet. But they again did not run against each other. Lewis ran a 200 Friday night, winning against seven others, including world champion Calvin Smith, in 20.31 seconds. Johnson ran in a special 200, winning in 20.76. Last Tuesday, they ran in separate 100-meter races in Rieti, Italy. Johnson said he and Lewis probably will not race against each other again until next summer.

UCLA teammates Danny Everett and Kevin Young each won, Everett in the 400 meters and Young in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles. Young had his second best time ever, 48.65. Everett’s victory in 45.28 came against a strong field, which included World Championship runner-up Innocent Egbunike of Nigeria. Everett, a junior, finished second in the Grand Prix 400-meters standings, but he cannot accept the $8,000 in prize money because of NCAA rules. He also cannot accept the $15,000 he would have received from The Athletics Congress, the national governing body for track and field, for winning a medal in the World Championships. He ran for the winning 1,600-meter relay team. “College athletes are being exploited and taken advantage of,” Everett said. “It makes it harder to stay in college. I’m not thinking about leaving, but I wish TAC would put some pressure on the NCAA to get the rules changed.”

Jackie Joyner-Kersee left Rome Monday following the World Championships, went to her hometown of East St. Louis, Ill., for a reception honoring her, and then returned to Europe to compete here Friday night. She won the long jump at 23 feet 2 1/2 inches.