TRACK AND FIELD : Johnson-Lewis Show Is Good for Business

For a sport that is showing some signs of financial illness and public apathy, it is heartwarming to watch the time-honored dog-and-pony show resurrected in track and field.

In the past, hurdlers have used the heated-rivalry scenario to great benefit. Milers have been known to hint that they will stomp their competitors the next time they see them and it seemed that Mary Slaney and everyone she ever ran against had some sort of feud.

This is all a part of being a competitor, but it is also very good for business. The latest incarnation is the Ben Johnson-Carl Lewis rematch. The two sprinters have not met since the 1988 Olympics, where Johnson was stripped of his gold medal.

Since then Johnson has served his two-year suspension and is busy with his comeback indoors. Lewis had knee surgery in October and is sitting out the indoor season.

Thus, the rematch is destined to take place outdoors. But where? They were to race at Seville, Spain, May 30, but the withdrawal of a sponsor scotched that deal. Then it appeared that Johnson and Lewis would appear, along with Leroy Burrell, Aug. 5 in Malmo, Sweden. That was set until a hint from Johnson’s manager Sunday.

“We are hoping that (Malmo) won’t be the first race,” Kamell Azan said from Osaka, Japan. “There is a strong possibility of a match race sooner in Europe or possibly Canada.”

Whether these negotiations are actually so tenuous is not really the point. The Rematch, as it might be called in boxing, is going to be talked about all the more while there is speculation and controversy. It creates interest and increased interest means more money for all concerned. And that is good for track and field.

Meanwhile, with the media as a willing conduit, Lewis and Johnson are conducting their war of words across several time zones.

Lewis, speaking last week from Honolulu, said Johnson is “not a thought” and said “people have to realize that he’s not the same athlete off drugs that he is on.”

Johnson was in Japan for his next meet and said, “Carl should know that I’m not afraid to run against him. Any time, anywhere.”

Johnson’s next race, for which he reportedly will be paid $100,000, will be tonight at Osaka, Japan. There he will face a tough challenge from Andres Simon of Cuba, the 1989 world indoor 60-meter champion, and Ray Stewart from Jamaica.

After Loren Seagrave announced he would no longer be coaching Johnson--saying he wanted to spend time with his wife, whom he also coaches--speculation was rampant as to who would coach Johnson.

The two leading names were, like Johnson’s, those of Jamaicans.

First came Don Quarrie, an Olympic sprinter and coach who lives in Glendora and coaches at Mt. San Antonio College. Quarrie said last week that he first heard of the rumor when a Canadian reporter called him. He said that he had been approached by the Johnson camp last September, but told them he was not interested.

“I’ve got a family and a lot of commitments here,” Quarrie said.

Quarrie is coaching several sprinters, including Grace Jackson.

The second name to emerge is that of Desai Williams, a former teammate of Johnson. Williams, one of Canada’s top sprinters, has begun to train with Johnson in Toronto. Seagrave said that it was a “misconception” to say Williams is coaching Johnson.

However, no one will say who is coaching Johnson.

TAC’s random drug-testing program has gone through its first full year, with mixed results. This out-of-season, unannounced testing is among the most stringent in the world, and is often used as a model for other such testing programs. But it has not been without its problems.

One big problem was the 75-mile rule. Under this rule, athletes were notified to report to a particular city for a test. Any athlete who lived beyond 75 miles of the testing facility was excused. This policy spawned a thriving business for individuals who provided false mailing addresses or post office boxes to athletes, addresses that fell outside the 75-mile limit.

As more and more athletes were being excused, it became increasingly clear that: 1. An alarming number of American athletes were moving to rural areas; or, 2. People were cheating.

The loophole was addressed at the TAC convention in November. TAC contracted with a private company that will use mobile units to go to the athletes and collect urine samples. The system is expected to begin this month.

That might tighten the loophole that allowed more athletes to avoid the tests last year than actually took them. According to figures released by TAC, 265 athletes reported to take the tests, 39 were excused and 376 were not asked to report--265 took the tests and 415 got around them. Not a lot of bite for a program with such sharp teeth.

Track and Field Notes

The International Amateur Athletic Federation has finally ratified world records in the women’s triple jump. The IAAF has “allowed” women to compete in the event for a few years, but until now has not recognized records, thus removing much incentive to take part in the event. Because of the vague status of the triple jump for women, few international meets include the event on their programs.

An invitational women’s triple jump will be held at the world indoor championships next month at Seville, Spain, but the winner will not be considered a world champion.

In the United States, triple jump is offered on the college level, where the event is flourishing among American women. However, the two newly ratified records are held by non-Americans: the outdoor record is 47 feet 8 1/2 inches, by Li Hui Rong of China. The indoor record is 46-4 3/4, by Galina Chistyakova of the Soviet Union.

The London Marathon April 21 has been designated the World Cup race, thus ensuring the world’s best will run there. Not that the April race needed the boost; it has the world’s biggest prize purse. San Sebastian, Spain, will play host to the 1993 World Cup race. . . . Olympic athletes lost their “uphill” battle to change the course of the 1992 Olympic marathon in Barcelona. The course’s final two kilometers are steeply uphill, allowing runners to finish in the Olympic Stadium atop Montjuic, a hill overlooking Barcelona. The IAAF unanimously approved the course, despite complaints from around the world. Olympic organizers say the first 23 1/2 miles of the 26-mile race will be the flattest ever for an Olympic course. . . . Diane Dixon is still undefeated this season, having won the 400 meters in Friday night’s meet at the Meadowlands. The New York City native is the women’s overall leader in the Grand Prix standings with only one meet to go. Dixon, a nine-time national champion indoors and outdoors, attributes her success to being reunited with her coach, Freddie Thompson. “I believe in Freddie again,” she said. “You have to believe in your coach. If he says I can touch the sky, I can touch the sky. If he says I can reach the stars, I can reach the stars.” Also undefeated is hurdler LaVonna Martin.