Heat Melts Field in an Olympic Warm-Up : Many Are No-Shows; Kim Gallagher Runs a Personal Best in 1,500

The Olympic warm-up track and field meet at UCLA, which promoters were optimistically calling “Gold Rush ‘88,” was more remarkable for its dozens of no-shows and canceled events than for its Olympic-caliber performances.

On a hot and sticky Saturday, a crowd of 4,563 at Drake Stadium found what shade was available and watched a parade of Olympians from about a dozen countries get in their last meet before the Seoul Games, which begin Sept. 17.

Comic relief was provided by the U.S. women’s 400-meter relay team, which, after two tries, couldn’t complete the first handoff.

The team of Jennifer Inniss, Alice Brown, Florence Griffith Joyner and Evelyn Ashford had never run together.

“We’ve never been able to get five people (including an alternate) together in one place,” said Fred Thompson, the women’s assistant coach. Thompson said they have been juggling runners and positions since the relay team was selected at the Olympic trials in July.

The runners have been in Europe, and only a couple at a time have been to the Olympic camp in Santa Barbara. “We’ve got it around one time,” Thompson said, referring to successful baton passes. “We’re sure of the last two legs, but the first two could change.”

Every U.S. Olympian was entered in the meet, but no athlete was compelled to compete. And there was little surprise, because of the informal nature of the meet, that many chose to switch events or not participate.

For instance, in the women’s 400-meter relay, the Jamaican team asked that the event be put on the program, but the Jamaicans were not at the starting line. In fact, the U.S. team was the only one that competed.

More athletes withdrew and events were canceled as the day, and the searing heat, wore on. Kim Gallagher, a U.S. Olympian at 800 and 1,500 meters, did not break Mary Slaney’s 5-year-old U.S. record in the 1,500 but did run a personal best.

Gallagher, of El Segundo, ran virtually alone throughout the race and finished in 4 minutes 3.29 seconds. Slaney’s record is 3:57.12.

This was Gallagher’s first race at sea level after training at altitude for six weeks.

Race organizers were not able to get a runner to set a fast pace for Gallagher, putting her in the position of having to do all the work from the front.

She ran the first 800 meters in 2:07, which is the fastest she has ever gone out.

“I was comfortable at 2:07. It felt good,” she said. “I know now that I can go out at that pace. The 1,500, for me, is a mental race. I needed to get over my 1,500 fear. I did that today.”

Steve Scott won the men’s 1,500 in a sluggish time of 3:45.50. Scott said he was satisfied with his race, if not the time.

“It’s my first 1,500 since the trials,” Scott said. “I would have preferred a faster pace. I had a good finish, and I’d better be able to finish like that in Seoul. You can’t really expect a lot from tuneup meets like this.”

Scott, limping as he came off the track, was asked if he was injured. “The track is so hot it burned my feet,” Scott explained.

Henry Marsh, the U.S. record-holder in the steeplechase, who is on his fourth Olympic team, won the 2,000-meter steeplechase, an event rarely run at that distance.

Marsh won the two-man race in 5:35, which may be a U.S. record. “We can’t tell; it’s never run. But it’s possible,” Marsh laughed.