Track and Field : No Ceremony, but Myricks Gets Bronze

Larry Myricks finally got the long jump bronze medal that he was wrongfully deprived of last August in the track and field World Championships in Rome.

Myricks said he would rather have been presented the medal in a stadium setting, but he wasn’t complaining.

Italy’s Giovanni Evangelisti finished third at the time, but a subsequent investigation by the Italian Olympic Committee confirmed suspicions that his mark was fixed to ensure him of a medal.

The International Amateur Athletic Federation made it official Monday in London when the medal was awarded to Myricks.

Evangelisti was absolved of any blame in the cheating incident. He had offered earlier this year to relinquish the medal.

Myricks, attending a track luncheon Monday, was in good spirits. When asked where he would like to receive the medal now, he said: “I’d like them to fly me back to Rome, fill the stadium with people and have it on worldwide TV--and I’d be on the (victory) stand all by myself.”

Myricks, who will compete in the 200 meters Sunday at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays, added that tampering with Evangelisti’s mark wasn’t the only cheating going on at the time.

“Some athletes were getting credit for jumps that were actually fouls,” he said.

It was announced at the time that Evangelisti’s last jump had been measured at 27 feet 6 inches, 2 inches farther than Myricks’ best jump. There was speculation then that the Italian’s jump was inaccurately measured.

Subsequent investigations revealed that Evangelisti’s final jump was only 25-11, and he should have finished fifth with a best of 26-10 1/2.

As for the medal ceremony that Myricks missed, the 32-year-old athlete said, “If anyone wants to give me a ceremony, I’d gladly show up.”

Carl Lewis is entered in the 100 meters in the Mt. SAC relays, and he’ll be opposed by Mark Witherspoon, his Santa Monica Track Club teammate.

Witherspoon beat Lewis in The Athletics Congress meet last June in San Jose, a qualifying meet for the World Championships.

Meet promoter Al Franken said that Lewis also is committed to run the 100 in the Pepsi Invitational June 5 at UCLA’s Drake Stadium.

Joe Douglas, Lewis’ manager, said there is also a possibility that Lewis will race against Ben Johnson in a meet in Seville, Spain, June 1.

If so, it will be the first meeting of the sprinters since their showdown in Rome last August, when Johnson set a world record of 9.83 seconds and Lewis equaled the American record of 9.93.

“I’d say that 2:59.9 has a nice ring to it,” said Bob Larsen, UCLA’s track coach.

Larsen was referring to a projected time for his 1,600-meter relay team in the Mt. SAC meet, or later in the season.

The Bruins already hold the collegiate record at 3:00.55 and could be the first college team to go under 3 minutes.

It wouldn’t be surprising because Larsen has five accomplished quarter-milers for four spots on the relay team with the addition of freshman Steve Lewis, who has already recorded a relay leg of 44.8 seconds. The others are Anthony Washington, Kevin Young, Danny Everett and Henry Thomas.

Track Notes

USC Coach Ernie Bullard and UCLA Coach Bob Larsen each had no comment when asked if Taft High School sprinter Quincy Watts had signed a letter of intent with either of the local schools. It’s believed that Watts, the state prep sprint champion last year, will decide Wednesday. It has been reported that Hilliard Sumner, Taft’s sprint coach, will accompany Watts to USC. USC officials say that Sumner has not been offered a job.

Evelyn Ashford says that she plans to run a leg on a sprint relay team in the Mt. SAC meet. The women’s world record-holder at 100 meters said: “I want to be extremely fast by July. I have to be.” Ashford plans to compete in meets in Japan, Spain, Italy and Switzerland in the next few months. . . . The USC-UCLA dual track meet, men and women, will be held at the Coliseum April 30, not Cromwell Field as originally scheduled. . . . In a meet at Texas A&M; Saturday, the Aggies’ Randy Barnes had a mark of 71 feet 4 inches in the shotput, and Baylor’s Michael Johnson was timed in 20.09 in the 200 meters, reportedly with acceptable wind conditions.