Johnson (10.29) Finishes Third in Another 100

World record-holder Ben Johnson lost a 100-meter race Sunday at the Cologne International track and field meet, and Carl Lewis wasn’t even there.

Americans Calvin Smith and Dennis Mitchell both beat Johnson. Racing into a cold headwind, Smith was timed in 10.16.

Mitchell’s time was 10.27, while Johnson ran 10.29, nearly a half second off his world record of 9.83 set last year at the World Championships in Rome.

Johnson burst ahead of the field at the start, but Smith pulled ahead at about 70 meters. Johnson, of Canada, seemed to let up in the last 5 meters.

“The gear just wasn’t there,” Johnson said. “We didn’t have much time to rest after getting to Europe.

“We had four days and then went to the altitude,” said Johnson, referring to an Aug. 11 meet in Italy.

“Last year we had more time to rest and come here and run fast,” he said.

Smith, a two-time 200-meter world champion, has qualified for the 100 meters for the Seoul Olympics along with Lewis, who had not planned to run in this meet.

Johnson, coming off an injury, had hoped to show his old form at the Cologne meet before heading for the Olympics.

His disappointing performance comes less than a week after placing third in the 100 meters at a meet in Zurich, Switzerland behind arch-rival Lewis and Smith, who was second. Johnson ran 10.00 at Zurich.

Said Aouita of Morocco won the 800 meters in 1:43.86 on a wet track, with Joaquim Cruz of Brazil second. Jim Spivey of the United States won the 1,500 meters in 3:36.42.

Weather for Sunday’s meet started dry with partly cloudy skies, but quickly turned overcast and cool.

The runners also were racing into a stiff wind, which was reflected in the disappointing times.

Aouita, running steadily from the start, came alongside the leader, Cruz, about 50 meters from the finish and passed him. Aouita is an expert at distances longer than the 800 but has been trying to break into shorter-distance races. He won the 5,000-meter gold medal at the 1984 Olympics.

Cruz, who won the gold medal at 800 meters in 1984, ran 1:44.27. Third-place finisher Jose-Luis Barboza of Brazil ran a 1:44.47.