Lewis Is Defeated by Burrell : Goodwill Games: It is his first victory over his Santa Monica teammate, who offers no excuses.

With so much discussion about a Carl Lewis-Ben Johnson match race in the 100 meters to determine the world’s fastest man when the Canadian returns in September after a two-year drug suspension, perhaps one lane should be reserved for Leroy Burrell.

Or, as he was identified at a news conference here last weekend, Larry Burrell. He did not seem to mind. Call him Larry or Leroy. Just don’t call him late to the starting line.

He proved beyond a doubt Monday night at the Goodwill Games that he belongs wherever the rest of the world’s great sprinters are gathering when he beat Lewis in the 100 meters.

Even with a 2.46-m.p.h. tail wind, the times were not particularly impressive. Burrell finished in 10.05, Lewis in 10.08. Their Santa Monica Track Club teammate, Mark Witherspoon, was third in 10.17. But it was a cool night on a hard, new track at Husky Stadium, less than optimum sprinting conditions.

Besides, Burrell, 23, has proved he can run fast. He had the fastest time in the world last year, 9.94, and has the fastest time in the world this year, 9.96. Lewis’ world record, awarded to him after Johnson’s two best times were nullified as a result of his positive test for anabolic steroids at the 1988 Summer Olympics, is 9.92.

Burrell, however, had not proved until Monday night that he could beat Lewis, who had won all five previous meetings.

Even if Lewis, 29, is just now rounding into shape for a busy summer on the lucrative European circuit, it was still a significant victory for Burrell. At least, Lewis seemed to think it was.

“I knew I was coming to the Goodwill Games some time ago,” Lewis said. “I was prepared. You don’t bring excuses to the line at the Goodwill Games. If I thought I wasn’t ready, I wouldn’t have run. Leroy is running the best in the world right now.”

The race did not go according to the form chart. Burrell, who at 5-feet-10 resembles Johnson, has a more explosive start, but Lewis, a lanky 6-2 and 175, beat him out of the blocks. Then Lewis, who usually reaches his full stride at about 50 meters, began to fade in the middle, giving way to Burrell.

When he realized with about 20 meters from the finish that he had a clear lead, Burrell said he told himself: ‘Stay relaxed, stay relaxed.”’

But he never totally relaxed until he crossed the finish line.

“You never know when you’ve won a race against Carl,” he said. “I’ve seen Carl pull it out with five meters to go.”

Not this time. With two Olympic gold medals, one World Championship and five national championships in the 100 meters, Lewis has won virtually every sprint title available. But he has never won at the Goodwill Games. Four years ago in Moscow, he finished third behind silver medalist Chidi Imoh of Nigeria and gold medalist Johnson.

That was Johnson’s first noteworthy victory over Lewis, who went public one year later with his suspicions about the Canadian’s use of steroids. Lewis was criticized at the time for making charges without evidence, but he was vindicated when Johnson was disqualified at Seoul.

There is none of that acrimony between Lewis and Burrell, who are workout partners in Houston.

They have similar backgrounds. Lewis is from Willingboro, N.J., while Burrell is from nearly Philadelphia. Both are sprint-long jump specialists who went to the University of Houston to train under one of the sports most respected coaches, Tom Tellez.

Burrell said Monday night that he not only credits Tellez for his success but also Lewis.

Asked at the postrace news conference if it wouldn’t provide more publicity for the sport if he and Lewis were rivals, Burrell said: “Why do athletes have to hate each other? Why does it have to be an adversarial thing? This is the Goodwill Games.”

When it was suggested that their relationship resembles a love-in, Lewis turned up his nose.

“He’s not my type,” Lewis said.

It might have been the Burrell-Lewis show, but, even in his absence, Johnson was lurking.

Told that Johnson was timed in a recent practice in 10.05, Lewis clearly was skeptical.

“OK, I was timed in 9.39,” he said. “Leroy was timed in 9.29. Talk doesn’t mean anything.”

There has been talk that Johnson and Lewis will meet after the Canadian is eligible to return on Sept. 25. But Lewis’ manager, Joe Douglas, said this week that there is only a 25% chance that there will be a match race.

While Lewis remains the king of U.S. track and field, the queen is Jackie Joyner-Kersee. But she was feeling less than regal after her performance here in the heptathlon.

Although she finished the seven events 547 points ahead of her closest challenger, the Soviet Union’s Larisa Nikitina, Joyner-Kersee’s total of 6,783 points was far behind her world record of 7,291.

Two-time Olympic champion Roger Kingdom beat another American, Tony Dees, in a 110-meter hurdles photo finish. Kingdom was timed in 13.47, Dees in 13.48.