Gray and Wysocki Belie Age; Watts Doesn’t Show

All one had to do to see the clock turning back was watch a couple of veterans of the 1984 Summer Olympics run Saturday night at the Occidental Invitational.

Johnny Gray, 35, and Ruth Wysocki, 39, set meet records, Gray running the third-fastest time (1:44.66) in the world this year in the 800 meters and Wysocki running the fourth-fastest time (4:07.6) in the 1,500.

But there was concern about an Olympian of more recent vintage when Quincy Watts, the 1992 gold medalist in the 400, failed to appear for that event at the Occidental College stadium.

His coach, Jim Bush, waited for him for much of the evening, finally giving up when the runners were called to their starting blocks.

“I don’t want to say anything because I don’t know what’s going on,” said Bush, who had not spoken to Watts since their last regularly scheduled workout Thursday. “I just hope and pray he’s not hurt someplace.”

Watts could not be reached for comment. His father, Rufus, said from his home in Calabasas that he spoke to his son Friday and presumed he would run at Occidental.

“As far as I know, everything is OK,” he said.

On another busy Saturday as track and field athletes prepare for the July 19-Aug. 4 Atlanta Olympics, the most compelling race was in the 110-meter hurdles at a Grand Prix meet in Osaka, Japan. World champion Allen Johnson ran the second-fastest time in the world this year (13.26 seconds) to beat Mark Crear (13.29), ranked No. 1 last year. That overshadowed a loaded 100 at Osaka, where Namibia’s Frankie Fredericks won in 10.09 over the United States’ Dennis Mitchell (10.16) and Canada’s Bruny Surin (10.28).

Robert Reading, who--like Crear--is a former USC hurdler, also had a noteworthy time in the high hurdles, winning at the Modesto Invitational in 13.34. Also at Modesto, Brian Lewis doubled in the 100 (10.03) and 200 (20.54).

That was the same double that Jon Drummond won at Occidental. He ran the 100 in 10.13 and the 200 in 20.41.

But Gray and Wysocki were the standouts at Occidental. Gray strained in the last 200 meters to beat Norway’s Atle Douglas, ranked seventh in the world last year; but Wysocki rushed to the lead at the gun and was never challenged, despite competing against a field that included PattiSue Plumer and Meredith Rainey.

It was the second impressive performance in a row for Wysocki, who ran 2:00.20 in the 800 meters last weekend in Irvine, the second-fastest outdoor time in the world this year.