Michael Johnson Loses 200 Meters in Rome to Namibia’s Fredericks

Namibia’s Frankie Fredericks outran Michael Johnson and Linford Christie at the wire to take the 200 meters Tuesday at the Golden Gala, an IAAF Grand Prix Track meet.

Fredericks defeated his better known competitors in 20.23 seconds. Johnson, the American rated first in the world at 200 meters, and Christie of Britain, were next both with times of 20.25.

Christie came back to take the men’s 100, but in a relatively slow time of 10.11. Jamaica’s Reynold Stewart was second at 10.24 while Fredericks was third at 10.26.

Sergei Bubka of the Commonwealth of Independent States missed his world record in the pole vault but outdid his brother to win the event. Bubka cleared 19 feet 2 1/2 inches to win but failed three times to beat his own outdoor mark of 20- 1/4.

He sailed under the bar with a weak first attempt at 20- 1/2, knocked the bar off with his feet on the second and then brushed it with his body on the descent in the third. Bubka’s younger brother, Vassily, finished second at 18-6 1/2.

Crowd favorite Gennaro Di Napoli of Italy caught and passed Algeria’s Noureddine Morceli in the final stretch to win the men’s 1,500 meters in 3:33.80. Morceli finished at 3:34.87.