World Cup Track and Field Meet : Coe Can’t Sidestep Bile, Is Second in 1,500

This was not the way that Sebastian Coe, one of Great Britain’s greatest, wanted to leave the international track and field stage.

For one thing, he finished second. But even more disheartening, he always will remember the 1989 World Cup 1,500 meters Saturday night at the Montjuic Olympic Stadium as a championship that he could have added to his impressive collection if only racing luck had not frowned upon him.

Coe, 32, is expected to announce in a news conference Thursday that his appearance the next night in London will be his last as a serious track competitor. At the same time, he is expected to reveal his plans to switch to another race, one for Parliament in 1991 as a Conservative.

Controversy no doubt awaits him at the start of his new career, which might be one reason he wanted to avoid it near the end of his old one. But it was thrust upon him when the British team, which sorely needs points in the World Cup standings, protested the victory by Somalia’s Abdi Bile in the 1,500.

It appeared as if Coe and Bile would duel to the finish after matching each other stride for stride through much of the third and fourth laps.

But coming off the final curve, Bile, the 1987 world champion from George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., made his move. As he did, he took one step toward the inside, forcing Coe to shorten his stride. When Coe grabbed Bile’s shoulder and gave him a slight shove to let him know that he was there, the Somalian moved back into his own lane.

That’s racing.

His momentum lost, Coe tried to gain on Bile. But the cause was lost. Bile finished in 3:35.56, Coe in 3:35.79. East German Jens Peter Herold was third in 3:35.87.

British officials immediately protested, which resulted in a counter-protest from Coe. “What does it matter?” he was overheard asking his father, Peter. “I was well beaten.”

In the post-race interview, Coe played his role. The British, competing in their first World Cup as a team instead of as part of the European all-stars, believed they could finish first in the men’s standings. Although they have lost hope of that after two days of the three-day event, they are still quite conscious of the point totals.

“I was going quite nicely through the gears when obviously we clashed at the beginning of the straight, which is not the best place to come to grief when you’re approaching top speed,” he said. “I got knocked out of stride temporarily. It was enough to be a problem. I decline to say much more than that really.”

When pressed, he indicated that he would not have protested if the decision had been left to him. But, already quite the politician, he did not quarrel with the British officials. “The team made a decision that a protest should go in,” he said. “I suppose, instinctively, that has to be the right thing. My overriding feeling about the race is that I was disappointed with the way it finished. I just wanted to walk away from it.”

Bile, meantime, thought that perhaps he was fouled by Coe.

“I thought I passed Seb,” he said. “Then I felt somebody grab my singlet at the shoulder. At that time, I lost my rhythm and stride. I was lucky to regain my stride. I don’t know what happened.”

The meet referee decided that nothing really happened, which was unanimously reinforced by the six-man appeals jury. It ruled that Coe’s path was obstructed but that he was not impeded.

“I really don’t know that I have done anything to anybody,” Bile said. “I feel disappointed that Seb feels I have done something to him. I really prefer to run a great race, and everybody feels you have run it the way it’s supposed to be.”

Even without the 1,500-meter incident, it was hardly an uneventful night in the stadium that will be used for opening and closing ceremonies and the track and field competition in the 1992 Summer Olympics. Although 48,000 tickets were sold, only about half the 60,000 seats were filled on a beautiful night that contrasted with Friday’s rainy opening.

There were three 1989 world-best performances, two by Cuban women. Ana Quirot, who anchored the Americas all-star team to a 1,600-meter relay victory Friday night, won the 800 in 1:54.44, the third-fastest time ever. Silvia Costa won the high jump at 6-8 1/4, making her fourth on the all-time list.

Cuba’s Roberto Hernandez won the 400 meters in 44.58, and teammate Luis Delis finished second in the discus to Olympic champion Jurgen Schult of East Germany.

East Germany’s Cornelia Oschkenat had the year’s best time in the 100-meter high hurdles, winning in 12.60 to lead her compatriots to a large lead in the women’s team standings. East Germany has 86 points to 67 for the Soviet Union.

With one gold medal Saturday night, provided by Sheila Echols’ victory over Nigeria’s Mary Onyali of Texas Southern University and East Germany’s Silke Moeller in the 100, the U.S. women are in fifth place with 57.5 points. Echols ran 11.18 into a 1.11-meter per second headwind.

Attempting to win for the fourth time in five World Cups, the U.S. men are tied for first place with Europe at 96. The U.S. gold medalists Saturday night were Mike Conley in the triple jump (57-4 3/4) and the 400-meter relay team (38.29.9) of Andre Cason, Tony Dees, Daron Council and Slip Watkins.

Meantime, the optimistic Brits slipped into oblivion. They are in fifth place with 77 points.

Now, two of their most celebrated Olympians, decathlete Daley Thompson and Coe, are expected to retire within a week. But Coe was disappointed last year when he was not given a berth to the British team that competed in Seoul. Believing that he had something to prove this year to the selectors, he has done just that.

Only one man this year has run faster than Coe’s 1:43.38 in the 800. Coe also won the 1,500 at the British national championships, covering the final 200 meters in 26 seconds to prove that he practically is as good as ever. That earned him a berth here, where he hoped to go out as a winner.

He stopped short of officially announcing his retirement Saturday night. But all that was left was for him to say the words. He said that he has made the decision.

“There’s a time in any athlete’s career when it’s time to think of these things,” he said. “I’ll be 33 in a couple of weeks. It’s foolhardy to think of running long-term. It’s unlikely I’ll be running at this level in Europe again.”