WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES : Conway Wins High Jump on Final Day

The big names finally came out Thursday, the last day of the World University Games, as world indoor high jump champion Hollis Conway and European javelin champion Steve Backley won gold medals.

After the no-shows of sprint stars Robson da Silva of Brazil and Oladape Adeniken of Nigeria earlier in the 12-day Games, Conway and Backley gave the 25,000 fans--the biggest crowd for the track competition--a show.

British star Backley, the former world record-holder, had an opening throw of 286 feet 9 3/4 inches to break his games mark of 280-10.

Conway, the Olympic silver medalist from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, cleared 7-9 1/4 with his final attempt to win the high jump.

Other American winners were 110-meter hurdler Elbert Ellis and the four men’s and women’s relay teams.

Ellis edged countryman Jerry Roney to win in 13.83 seconds.

The United States’ 400-meter team of Jon Drummond, Boris Goins, Michael Bates and James Trapp overcame two sloppy exchanges to win the relay in 39.10.

The men’s 1,600 relay team of Chuck Wilson, Marlin Cannon, Brian Irvin and Gabriel Luke won in 3 minutes 3.65 seconds.

While Andrea James, Tamela Saldana, Chryste Gaines and Anita Howard had no problems speeding away from Britain to win the women’s 400 relay in 44.45 seconds, the 1,600 team had more trouble.

Running the anchor lap after Keisha Demas, Tasha Downing and Teri Smith, 400-meter gold medalist Maicel Malone had to make up ground on Soviet runner Anna Chuprina, and overtook her to win in 3:27.93.

Sonia O’Sullivan of Ireland got clear of Romania’s Iulia Besliu to win the women’s 1,500 meters in 4:12.14, and Niall Bruton, also of Ireland, edged Italy’s Davide Tirelli in the men’s 1,500 with a time of 3:50.69.

The United States had the largest contingent at the Games, 298 competitors, and finished with the most medals--29 gold, 23 silver and 24 bronze. China had 20 golds and a total of 48 medals, mostly in swimming and diving, and the Soviet Union totaled 51, including 15 golds.

China and the United States tied for most gold medals in swimming with nine each.