It’s Fredericks’ Day Again Against Johnson

Michael Johnson got the Olympic gold, Frank Fredericks got the pot of gold.

Fredericks edged double Olympic champion Johnson to win the 200 meters at the ISTAF track and field Grand Prix meet Friday and became one of five athletes to share a jackpot of gold.

Fredericks ran strong in the final 100 meters to win in 19.97 seconds.

Johnson, who achieved a historic double at Atlanta by becoming the first man to win the 200 and 400 at the same Olympics and set a world record of 19.32 for the 200, lost for the second time to the Namibian this year. He was timed in 20.02.

“I can’t win everything,” Johnson said before skipping a post-race press conference.

Fredericks also won the event at Oslo, handing Johnson his first defeat in any final in two years.

By also winning the 200 at meets at Oslo, Zurich and Brussels, Fredericks assured himself a share of 44 pounds of gold-- about $250,000--awarded to athletes who win their events at all four of the lucrative meets.

Others getting $50,000 each from the richest prize in track and field were German discus thrower Lars Riedel, Kenyan 800-meter runner Wilson Kipketer, British triple jumper Jonathan Edwards and Bulgarian high jumper Stefka Kostadinova.

Gail Devers, winner of the women’s Olympic 100, won again in 10.89, beating silver medalist Merlene Ottey of Jamaica (10.94) and bronze medalist Gwen Torrence (11.07).

In the men’s 100, Dennis Mitchell beat Olympic champion Donovan Bailey of Canada for the third time since Atlanta. Mitchell clocked 10.08, Michael Green of Jamaica was second in 10.09 and Bailey third in 10.13.

Later, Bailey, Johnson, Fredericks and 1992 Olympic champion Linford Christie of Britain ran together as a “Dream Team” in the 400-meter relay to honor Jesse Owens, who won four Olympic gold medals at the stadium in 1936.