London Track and Field Meet : Bile Beats Cram; Coe, Aouita Also Win

Abdi Bile, Sebastian Coe and Said Aouita, who could all meet in the 1,500 meters at the Seoul Olympic Games, scored important victories Friday night in an International Amateur Athletic Federation Mobil Grand Prix track and field meet at Crystal Palace.

Bile, the world champion from Somalia, came back from last week’s loss in the mile to Steve Cram and beat the Briton in the 1,000 meters. Bile was timed in 2 minutes 17.75 seconds to Cram’s 2:17.80. Britain’s Peter Elliott was third in 2:17.90.

Coe, who is bidding for a third successive Olympic 1,500 title as well as hoping to compete in the 800 meters, cruised to victory in the 800 in 1:46.13.

Aouita, who said this week he was considering running the 800 and 1,500 at Seoul, won the 1,500 in 3:36.50. The Moroccan world-record holder was sixth with less than 200 meters to go.

Other notable winners on a windless night before a crowd of 17,000 included Kenya’s Julius Kariuki, who won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 8:15.71, the fastest time of the year and fastest ever in Britain; Romania’s Paula Ivan in the women’s 1,500 meters (4:05.82); Canada’s Atlee Mahorn in the 200 meters (20.80); Jamaica’s Grace Jackson in the women’s 200 meters (22.40), and Britain’s Linford Christie, who won the men’s 100 meters in 10.25 seconds to maintain his unbeaten record this season.

Coe, of Great Britain, won the 1,500 Olympic title in 1980 and 1984 and hopes to go for an unprecedented third straight title at Seoul.

“I am running so much better now than I was in 1984, it’s frightening,” Coe said. “I also want to do both the 800 and 1,500 in Korea.

“It would be very frustrating waiting for one event and watching the other on television knowing I could have won a medal in it.”

Aouita, who was suffering from a throat infection and did not attend a post-race news conference, emphasized he would run in the 1,500 at Seoul “because it is my favorite race.”

East German world record-holder Ulf Timmerman won the shotput with a throw of 69 feet 10 inches. Czechoslovakia’s Remigius Machura, who finished second at 67-1, leads the overall Grand Prix standings with 39 points.

Petra Felke, who won the javelin with a throw of 226-4, leads the women’s standings with 45 points.