TRACK AND FIELD : Aouita Wins 3,000 in Stockholm Meet

Said Aouita, running indoors for the first time this season, held off Julius Kariuki and won the 3,000 meters at the inaugural DN Games track and field meet Saturday.

The Moroccan, holder of five outdoor world records but none indoors, was timed in 7 minutes 50.64 seconds.

Kariuki, the Olympic 3,000-meter steeplechase champion from Kenya, was timed in 7:50.68.

Aouita’s best 3,000 time outdoors is 7:39.71. The world record is 7:39.2 by Emiel Puttemans of Belgium. Aouita, who ran his last outdoor race Sept. 18 in India, seldom competes indoors. “I’m going to run one more indoor race in Spain on Tuesday and that’s all for this season,” he said.

Commonwealth champion Peter Elliott of Britain coasted to victory in the 1,500 meters in 3:44.94 for his third consecutive indoor triumph. Elliott won two mile races in the United States recently.

Herve Phelippeau of France, the 1989 European indoor champion, was second in 3:45.62 and Jens-Peter Herold of East Germany third in 3:46.54.

The Americans dominated the short races, with James Butler winning the 200 meters in 21.37 and 400-meter hurdles specialist Danny Harris taking the 400 in 46.39.

Houston McTear, 33, still a fast starter, led the 60 meters most of the way. But Chidi Imoh of Nigeria edged him at the finish by four-hundredths of a second in 6.68.

“It was my first loss in five meets in Sweden, but the field was a lot tougher today,” said McTear, a former world record-holder in the 60 who lives in Sweden.

Jack Pierce was the only other American winner, clocking 7.68 in the 60-meter hurdles. Igor Kazanov of the Soviet Union was eight hundredths behind.

World indoor champion Rodion Gataullin, who was ranked No. 1 outdoors last year, won the pole vault at 19-1/4. Philippe Collet of France finished second at 18-6 1/2.

Brazil’s Jose-Luis Barbosa, the 1987 world indoor champion, took the 800 in 1:48.32.

Sandra Gasser of Switzerland, back in competition after serving two years for a steroid suspension, won a close women’s 1,500 meters in 4:12.41.