TAC Track and Field Meet : Withdrawals of Joyner-Kersee, Others Further Weaken Field

Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Butch Reynolds led a star-studded group of withdrawals Thursday from The Athletics Congress Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Greg Foster, Andre Phillips and Danny Harris also were among the late withdrawals.

Before the meet, several world-class athletes, led by six-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, said they would not appear.

The winners of this meet qualify for the U.S. team for the World Cup meet at Barcelona, Spain, Sept. 8-10.

Joyner-Kersee, the 1988 Olympic champion in the women’s long jump and heptathlon, pulled out of the 400-meter intermediate hurdles because of fatigue.

Foster, two-time world champion and 1984 Olympic silver medalist in the 110-meter high hurdles, withdrew because of foot problems.

Reynolds, world record-holder and the Olympic silver medalist in the 400 meters, withdrew from the 200 because of a leg injury.

Phillips, Olympic champion in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles, was entered in the hurdles and the 400 meters, but reportedly is suffering from a virus.

No explanation was given for the absence of Harris, 1984 Olympic silver medalist in the intermediate hurdles.

Other big-name athletes who said before the meet that they would not compete were Edwin Moses, Mary Slaney, Al Joyner, Willie Banks, Valerie Brisco, Judi Brown-King, Billy Olson, Kevin Young, Danny Everett, Joe Falcon, Jim Spivey and Sydney Maree.

Among those advancing to the semifinals in the high hurdles were: two-time Olympic gold medalist Roger Kingdom, who won his heat in 13.28 seconds; Arthur Blake, who was second in 13.30, and Tonie Campbell, who finished fourth (13.53) in his first race since ending a 90-day suspension for refusing to take a drug test.