Brisco Will Head Women’s 400 Field

Valerie Brisco, a triple gold medalist in the 1984 Olympics, heads a women’s 400-meter field at the 29th annual Times/GTE Indoor Games, Feb. 19 at the Forum.

Brisco, who won the 200- and 400-meter races at the Olympics and was on the winning 4x400 relay team, faces Olga Bryzgina of the Soviet Union, winner of the world 400-meter championship at Rome with a 1987-best of 49.38. Brisco’s best clocking last year was an even 50.00.

Other standouts in the 400-meter field include: Lillie Leatherwood, the top U.S. performer at 400 meters last year with a time of 49.95; Lawanda Cabell; Gervaise McCraw and Nigeria’s Airat Bakare.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee, named female athlete of the year in 1986 and 1987 by Track & Field News, will compete in the long jump against Veronica Bell, Jennifer Inniss, USC’s Yvette Bates and Wendy Brown and UCLA’s Gale Devers and Tanya Sedwick, among others.

Joyner-Kersee is the co-holder of the world record in the long jump at 24-5 1/2 and holds the world mark in the demanding Heptathlon at 7,158 points.

Other top competitors in the women’s events are Gwen Torrance, running in both the 60 and 200 and who has 32 straight wins in the indoor 55 meters; Romanian Doina Melinte, gold medalist in the 800 meters, going against defending champ Joetta Clark and Maricica Puica, winner of the mile here last year and two-time Olympic medalist in the 3000 and 1500 meters.

Tickets to the Times/GTE Indoor Games are available by calling (213) 237-5775.