U.S. Athletes Sweep India Track Meet : Husband and Wife Hurdlers Lead American Haul of Medals

The husband-wife duo of David and Sandra Patrick led an American medal haul at a two-day international track meet with victories in the 400-meter hurdles today.

American athletes won 25 of the 84 medals at stake in the two-day meet, taking the United States to the top of the competition that saw 210 athletes from 28 countries at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.

The Americans won 11 gold, 7 silver and 7 bronze medals.

“It was fun to be in India,” sprinter Carl Lewis said. “I wish I could come back again.”

The highlights of the American domination today were the Patricks.

David Patrick won his hurdles race in 49.99 seconds, more than a second slower than his winning time at the World Cup in Barcelona, Spain, earlier this month.

The 29-year-old half miler-turned-hurdler trailed teammate Georgie Porter until the last hurdle, but Patrick overtook him just before the finish line.

“It was my strategy to keep pace with Georgie and then break out in the last 20 meters. That is exactly what I did,” he said. “I had a burden because everyone expected me to win.”

Minutes after her husband’s race, Sandra Patrick won her hurdles race despite a tough challenge by Bera Ordina of the Soviet Union, who stayed even with Patrick until the ninth hurdle.

Sandra Patrick was timed in 54.89 seconds. Ordina was second in 56.82.

“I am happy it is over,” said Sandra Patrick, who also won the event in Barcelona in 53.84, one of the fastest this year.

Other Americans who won golds Tuesday were Danny Everett, 400 meters; Evelyn Ashford, 100 meters; Kenny Harrison, triple jump; Rick Noji, high jump, and Floyd Heard, 200 meters.

Everett, an Olympic bronze medalist at Seoul last year, won his event in 45.50 seconds. The 400 meters was an all-American affair with Oliver Bridges and Kevin Young taking the silver and the bronze, respectively.

Ashford had the 100 meters in command from the time the starter’s gun went off until she touched the tape 11.27 seconds later.

The meet, hosted by the Amateur Athletics Federation of India, attracted more than 160 overseas athletes, many of them world and Olympic champions.

The star of the meet was Lewis, despite an upset by a little-known Austrian, Andreas Berger, in the 100 meters Tuesday.

Lewis was lustily cheered every time he appeared and was chased by autograph seekers today.

Lewis, along with his Santa Monica club teammates, ran an exhibition 400-meter relay that they won easily in 40.15 seconds. The relay included Cletus Clark, Everett and Heard.

Indian sports officials hope that the Nehru Centenary Athletics meet, held to commemorate the birth of independent India’s first prime minister, will strengthen their claim for inclusion of New Delhi on the Grand Prix circuit next year.