WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES : Drummond Wins 200; Fritz Takes Decathlon

Sprinter Jon Drummond was one of four Americans to earn gold medals in track and field Wednesday at the World University Games. Drummond won the 200 meters.

Other U.S. gold medalists in track were 400 hurdler Derrick Adkins, decathlete Steven Fritz with his highest points total and long jumper Alan Turner with his second-best jump ever.

Of the four track winners, Drummond was the most noticeably exuberant. After crossing the finish line in 20.58 seconds, he clapped and jumped and waved his arms, imploring the crowd to do the same.

“It was all that jumping around out there got me tired, not the race,” said the Texas Christian University student. “It’s all about showmanship. If the crowd doesn’t enjoy you, they don’t enjoy your event.

“I’d rather lose and have people like me than win and be disliked.”

Adkins, a Georgia Tech senior, blew past the opposition in 49.01 seconds, beating Yoshihiko Saito of Japan by 1.01 seconds.

“I knew the fastest guy in the race was the Japanese in the lane inside of me,” he said. “So the strategy was to go out hard the first hundred and stay in front.”

Already holding a two-step lead with 100 meters to go, Adkins cruised easily through the tape with arms extended.

In the decathlon, Fritz finished 360 points ahead of Kris Szabadhegy in leading a one-two U.S. finish. Fritz had 8,079 points, a personal best.

Turner’s leap of 26 feet 10 inches in the long jump was only 1 1/4 inches short of his personal best.

“I’m very happy with my second best jump ever,” said the Indiana University athlete.

Michelle Collins of the University of Houston won a bronze medal in the women’s 200 as Taiwan’s Wang Huei-Chen and Norway’s Solvi Olsen finished 1-2. Collins’ time was 23.47, compared to Heui-Chen’s 23.22.

Dutch competitor Gretha Tromp won the 400 hurdles gold to go with her silver in the 400. Tromp’s hurdles time was 55.40. Australian Alison Inverarity won the women’s high jump at 6-3 1/2.

The U.S. women’s basketball team romped to an 88-62 victory over Spain to complete the tournament with seven consecutive victories and a gold medal, and the men’s team beat Canada, 96-56, to win the gold.

In the women’s game, the Americans broke from a 22-22 tie with Spain to take a 42-29 halftime lead.

Ruthie Bolton, the former Auburn guard who scored 40 points against Romania earlier in the tournament, had 22 against Spain.