Devers Pulls Out of Sunkist Race After Russian Sprinter Is Entered

Olympic champion Gail Devers pulled out of the 50-meter dash in Saturday’s Sunkist track meet at the Sports Arena because new indoor world record-holder Irina Privalova was added to the field, said Al Franken, the event’s director.

Franken said Devers’ representatives, Debra and Wallace Anderson, wanted more money for their runner when they learned Privalova would run.

Devers, named 1993 U.S. women’s track athlete of the year, won the women’s 100-meter dash in the 1992 Olympics at Barcelona. Privalova, from Russia, set the world indoor 50-meter record with a time of 6.01-seconds at Madrid last week.

Franken produced a copy of the agreement signed by Debra Anderson, who also represents Jackie Joyner-Kersee, showing both had agreed to compete, with no stipulations as to their competition. Devers had agreed to run for $9,000, Joyner-Kersee for $10,000.

Devers’ coach, Bob Kersee, said “(Devers) had already agreed to run for less than her usual fee . . . (Franken) never said anything about Privalova.”