Only Flo-Jo Is Faster Than Ottey’s 10.74

Merlene Ottey became the second-fastest woman of all time at 100 meters and Michael Johnson won his 57th consecutive 400-meter final at the IAAF Grand Prix finals at Milan, Italy.

Ottey was timed in 10.74 seconds, beating Olympic 100-meter champion Gail Devers.

The Jamaican powered past Devers in the final 40 meters at Milan’s Arena stadium. Only Florence Griffith-Joyner, whose world record is 10.49, has run faster. Overall, Griffith-Joyner has four faster times than Ottey.

Devers finished a meter behind in 10.83.

Johnson, the world and Olympic 200- and 400-meter champion, came from behind at the 200 mark to win the 400. He was timed in 44.53, beating Americans Anthuan Maybank, Derek Mills and Darnell Hall.

Dennis Mitchell matched his best time, 9.91, in scoring another 100-meter victory over Olympic champion and world-record holder Donovan Bailey of Canada.

Olympic gold medalist Derrick Adkins led an American 1-2 finish in the 400 hurdles and earned $50,000 for being the event’s Grand Prix champion. Running in a swirling wind, Adkins clocked 48.63 in beating American Torrance Zellner and Zambia’s 1991 world champion, Samuel Matete.

The IAAF Grand Prix final is the last of nine events in which athletes collect points and compete for individual event and overall titles.

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Johnson will not attend Monday’s meet in Sarajevo because of concerns about safety, his agent said.

“Michael’s going to Monza tomorrow [to watch the Italian Formula One Grand Prix] and then he’s going home,” Brad Hunt said. “It’s about security.”

Johnson is one of several top athletes to pull out of the meet for that reason. Mitchell also will not compete.

The Solidarity for Sarajevo meet is the first major sports event in the city since the war ended in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

IAAF chiefs are providing a free charter flight to bring athletes, managers and journalists from Milan to Sarajevo today. They hoped that 120 athletes would make the trip, but the number has dwindled to half that.

Auto Racing

Ernie Irvan added to his remarkable comeback, sneaking inside Johnny Benson on the inside of the first turn with 19 laps to go then winning the Miller 400 at Richmond, Va.

Irvan, nearly killed in a crash at Michigan in 1994, won for the second time this season. He won the Jiffy Lube 300 at Loudon, N.H., on July 14.

Since he was fifth in the first Miller 400, at Brooklyn, Mich., on June 23, Irvan has finished in the top five eight times in 11 races. His streak includes a second in the prestigious Brickyard 400 on Aug. 3.

Defending Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon was second on the three-quarter-mile oval of Richmond International Raceway, coming up just short in his bid for a sweep of the spring and fall races at the track.

Damon Hill, dropped recently from the 1997 Williams lineup, edged teammate Jacques Villeneuve in qualifying to win the pole position for today’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Mike Skinner won the pole for the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Pennzoil 200 race at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon by one-thousandth of a second over Steve Park.

Golf

Wind and rain, the remnants of Hurricane Fran, washed out the third round of the Canadian Open at Oakville. Officials said the tournament would be shortened to 54 holes and completed today, weather permitting. More rain was forecast, however.

Winds gusting up to 30 mph buffeted the Glen Abbey Golf Course, accompanied by about one inch of rain. Eleven players in the final field of 77 had completed nine holes when play was suspended for the second and final time.

Steve Ross, executive director of the Royal Canadian Golf Assn., said no decision had been made about shortening the championship to 36 holes. If that does happen, however, second-round leader Scott Dunlap would be declared the winner.

Bunky Henry birdied Nos. 17 and 18 for a six-under-par 65 and held a two-stroke lead after two rounds of the Senior PGA Tour’s inaugural Boone Valley Classic at Augusta, Mo.

Henry’s 11-under 131 total is two shots ahead of St. Louis native Hale Irwin, who shot a course-record 63.

Gibby Gilbert is at 134 after a 66. Gary Player and Vicente Fernandez, a first-round co-leader, were tied at 135 after a 66 and a 70, respectively.

Chris Johnson shot a seven-under 65 for a course record 36-hole total of 134 and a one-stroke lead over first-round leader Dottie Pepper in the Safeway LPGA Championship at Portland, Ore.

Johnson’s 134 was one stroke better than the previous record held by Kris Monaghan in 1987 and Tina Barrett in 1992 on the 6,294-yard Columbia-Edgewater Country Club course.

Bob Wernick of Rancho Mirage shot a three-under 68 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of qualifying for the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at Williamstown, Mass.

Horse Racing

Second behind Morgana in the race last year, Yearly Tour got the money in the $131,350 Palomar Handicap at Del Mar, taking her seven rivals gate-to-wire in 1:42 2/5 for the 1 1/16 miles on turf. Trained by Dave Hofmans for owners John and Betty Mabee, Yearly Tour was ridden by Chris McCarron and paid $10.60. Slewvera was second and Real Connection third. . . . Ray York, 62, won the Rocking Chair Derby at Del Mar for the second year in a row, scoring with Naturally Stan in the 5 1/2-furlong exhibition. . . . Trainer Doug Peterson was fined $2,500 by the stewards for the positive caffeine test on Don’t Blame Rio, who finished second in the ninth race at Hollywood Park on June 8.

College Basketball

Louisville says a crucial charge leveled against its men’s basketball program by the NCAA should be dismissed. The university says the accusation involving former player Samaki Walker’s procurement of a 1991 Honda Accord is based on indirect and circumstantial evidence, the Courier-Journal reported.