Torrence Wins, Then Loses 200 : Track and field: She is disqualified for running out of her lane. Jamaica’s Ottey gets the gold medal.

Gwen Torrence’s time of 21.77 seconds in the women’s 200-meter final Thursday, which would have been the world’s fastest this year, even though she was running into a sturdy headwind and--ah, the plot thickens--in a spare pair of shoes after her others mysteriously disappeared, was, as her competitors suspected, too good to be true.

Torrence, known for walking, or in this case running, the line, was disqualified for stepping over it and into another lane on the curve. In so doing, she lost not only a gold medal and the Mercedes-Benz that comes with it in track and field’s World Championships, but also the distinction of becoming the first U.S. woman since Florence Griffith Joyner in 1988 to win the 100 and 200 in the same major international meet.

USA Track & Field officials filed a protest, but it was unanimously rejected by the International Amateur Athletic Federation’s seven-man jury of appeals.

Torrence’s descent from the medal stand enabled Jamaica’s Merlene Ottey to retain her 200-meter world title from two years ago at Stuttgart, Germany, with a time of 22.12, followed by two Russians, Irina Privalova, also in 22.12, and Galina Malchugina, in 22.37.

“A person can’t enjoy winning that way,” Torrence said.

She was, of course, wrong.

“I’m very happy,” said Ottey, who had finished second to Torrence three days earlier in the 100. “She cheated. She ran about two meters shorter than everyone else. Why should she win?”

It was, in other words, just another day at the office for Torrence, who seems always to do or say something when she competes to obscure everything else going on around her.

On this particular day at Ullevi Stadium, that included:

--A victory for her fellow Georgian, Derrick Adkins, in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles in 47.98 seconds. He tired after running a quick opening 200, then was pleasantly surprised that he was able to hold off Zambia’s Samuel Matete (48.03) and France’s Stephane Diagana (48.14).

--A world record of 50 feet 10 1/4 inches in the women’s triple jump for Ukraine’s Inessa Kravets, who was merely attempting to record a mark that would keep her in the competition after fouling on her first two attempts. On a later jump, Bulgaria’s Iva Prandzheva also broke the previous record of 49-6 1/4 with her 49-9 3/4.

--The first gold medal in a major meet for a woman from the Middle East with the heptathlon victory by Syria’s 21-year-old Ghada Shouaa.

All of that was achieved under perfectly sunny conditions, but Torrence brought a storm with her. She has a history of that.

Although she never would have been a candidate for Miss Congeniality among competitors, her popularity hit bottom during the 1992 Olympics at Barcelona, where she accused some of them of using banned drugs. Neither did she make friends during this summer’s national championships at Sacramento, where she limped around with an injury after her first race, talked about going home and then flew through the rest of the week while winning both sprints.

“Even the other Americans think she’s too fake,” said Grace Jackson, a former sprinter who now coaches for Jamaica.

After Torrence won the 100 here Monday, only Ottey among the other seven finalists congratulated her. “I don’t think anybody likes her,” Jamaican sprinter Juliet Cuthbert said.

Asked about the snub, Torrence said: “I love it.”

She did not love it, however, when she completed her warm-up on the practice track before the 200 final Thursday and discovered that her racing shoes were missing.

“Somebody stole my shoes,” she said after the race. “I ran with a lot of fear and a lot of anger at somebody. I was very upset. I don’t know if somebody tried to sabotage me or what.”

Perhaps she was so angry that she could not see straight.

When the Jamaican sprinters watched the scoreboard replay, they yelped when they saw Torrence’s missteps. “Oh,” Jackson said, “that’s how she came off the turn so quick.”

Fortunately for Ottey, a judge on the curve also noticed and raised a red flag.

Just as she again received no congratulations from any of her rivals aside from Ottey after winning, Torrence received no sympathy when she was subsequently disqualified. Nigeria’s Mary Onyali, who finished sixth, cheered loudly when she saw the notification on a television just outside the stadium, even though Torrence was standing only steps behind her.

“I don’t know what happened,” Torrence said. “If I stepped on the line, I didn’t realize it. I clearly beat them. I know it in my heart. I’ll just have to beat them again at the Olympic Games.”

The U.S. women’s coach, Teri Jordan, said: “We’re disappointed that Gwen wasn’t given the gold medal. It’s obvious she won the race by a decisive margin.”

But the IAAF rule is clear: “In all races run in lanes, each competitor shall keep within his allotted lane from start to finish.” Torrence stepped on or outside the inside line of her lane three times on the curve.

Even so, Ottey did not celebrate until the jury of appeals’ decision was final.

“I tried to stay calm,” she said. “The United States is very strong. Usually, things go their way. Remember Stuttgart.”

Ottey still believes that she was robbed in 1993, when the United States’ Gail Devers was awarded first place in the 100 in a photo-finish.