TRACK AND FIELD / U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS : Joyner-Kersee, O’Brien in Command of Events

Jackie Joyner-Kersee spent much of Tuesday trying to convince her coach that she did not need to go to the hospital. Dan O’Brien spent much of the day trying to convince his coaches that he did.

Come nightfall on the opening day of the USA/Mobil Track and Field Championships, both returned from Hayward Field to their hotel rooms. And while neither could say they were entirely comfortable, they were comfortably ahead in their respective multi-event competitions.

It was an endurance test for O’Brien, the world record-holder in the decathlon, who almost quit twice because of the pain from a prostate infection.

But his coaches insisted that he persevere, which he did for 4,475 points after the first five events. Entering today’s final five events, he has a 236-point lead over Sheldon Blockburger.

Joyner-Kersee was in even more command of the heptathlon competition, winning all four events for 4,089 points. She is 476 points ahead of Kym Carter entering today’s final three events.

When her day was complete, Joyner-Kersee breathed a sigh of relief, not because she was in the lead, but because she could breathe.

An asthmatic, Joyner-Kersee was concerned about competing in Eugene, which she calls “the pollen capital of the world.” But she was not as concerned as her coach/husband, Bob Kersee, who called to make sure that Sacred Heart Hospital would have a room for her if she needed it Tuesday night.

“I couldn’t believe he did that,” Joyner-Kersee said. “It was like he was wishing something on me.”

But Joyner-Kersee got what she wished for, a cool, overcast day--including a little rain late in the afternoon--that kept the pollen level low and her wheezing to a minimum.

Despite the weather conditions, a respectable crowd of 6,638 came to Hayward Field on a traditionally uneventful day, which is one reason Eugene is known as “Track Town, USA.”

Kersee knows that his wife will not approach her world record of 7,291 points, but he said that he might encourage her, if the weather holds, to score 7,000. Only seven times has that barrier been broken, six times by Joyner-Kersee.

“I’d like to give these fans 7,000 points, if she feels like it,” Kersee said.

But the first priority for all of the favored athletes in this meet, he said, is to finish among the first three in their events so that they qualify for the World Championships in August at Stuttgart, Germany.

“Jackie and Dan and those who should make the team all have a level where they can feel comfortable and not have to reach back for that fifth gear,” Kersee said.

O’Brien had difficulty finding his first gear Tuesday, almost withdrawing before the first event, the 100 meters.

“I looked at the 100 and said, ‘I can get through this, but I don’t know if I can make it through two days,’ ” he said.

He had the fastest time of all the competitors in the 100, finishing in 10.72 seconds, but it was his slowest time since 1990.

After getting through two more events, he said he almost quit before the high jump.

“I knew that was going to be the worst,” he said.

Instead, it was his best. He jumped 6 feet 10 1/4 inches, an inch higher than he did during last year’s world-record performance.

“My coaches were trying all day to convince me I was going to be fine,” he said. “It’s easy to listen to, but it’s hard to get going. It had to be my decision.

“They were pretty frustrated with me. They almost told me to ‘blank off.’ They’ve put a lot of time into coaching, and they weren’t too happy with me.”