Soviet Hammer Throwers Boycott British Track Meet

Soviet hammer throwers did not compete in a triangular track and field meet Sunday against Britain and France in protest over an article in a British newspaper accusing one of them of advising athletes on taking drugs.

The British tabloid, the News of the World, quoted a British hammer thrower as saying two-time Olympic champion, Yuri Sedykh, had offered the drug advice during a coaching clinic on a previous trip to England. The Soviets denied the allegations.

The hammer throwers did not accompany the Soviet team, which arrived in Britain Thursday.

A statement released jointly by the Soviets and the British Athletics Board, England’s governing body, said: “Following the uncorroborated and unfounded accusation on drugs in the British press earlier this year concerning Russian world-record holder and double-Olympic champion Yuri Sedykh, it was decided by all Russian hammer throwers to make a passive protest. In not accepting selection for the match this action was supported by the Soviet Federation.”

The hammer throwers’ protest overshadowed a fine return by Sebastian Coe, the two-time Olympic champion who competed in his first international 800-meter race since 1986.

Coe, who won with a time of 1 minute 48.63 seconds, had to set the pace as the runners ran the first 400 meters in a slow time of 56.75 seconds.

Coe, however, completed the second 400 meters in 51.88 to win.

“It wasn’t such a good time but I did feel comfortable. All in all it was a very useful exercise,” Coe, 31, said.

In the men’s competition, Britain dominated the track events and the Soviet Union the field events.

Britain’s Linford Christie, the European 100-meter champion, had a comfortable victory in the 100 and 200. In the field events, the Soviets won the shotput and discus.

Britain won the men’s competition with 155 points to the Soviet Union’s 149 and France’s 137.

In the women’s events, Yelana Nikolayeva of the Soviet Union set a European record in the women’s 5,000-meter walk of 21:08.65, breaking the old mark by 22.27 seconds.

The Soviet women won, scoring 141 points to Britain’s 114 and France’s 77.