Greene Leads Way to 100-Meter Final

Tim Montgomery predicts victories, but Maurice Greene produces them. And Greene, the Olympic 100-meter champion, isn’t ready to cede anything as he pursues his third consecutive world title at the World Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Greene ran his quarterfinal heat in 9.88 seconds Saturday, a season-best and the swiftest of five sub-10-second times on the fast Commonwealth Stadium track. Montgomery, who proclaimed he will beat Greene in today’s final in world-record time, continued on that path with a 9.92, ahead of U.S. teammate Bernard Williams’ personal-best 9.95.

Just behind were Dwain Chambers and Mark Lewis-Francis of Britain, both timed at 9.97.

“This is good for the quarterfinals,” said Greene, the world record holder at 9.79. “I was going to come out and run fast, but I’ve got something special for [today].

“I don’t think this was an answer [to Montgomery]. It was a statement. No one is going to let anyone win. Everyone’s out for the gold medal. But they’ve got to go through me to win it.”

Lewis-Francis, 18, became the youngest runner to break the 10-second barrier when he won his quarterfinal heat in 9.97 seconds. That would have been a world junior record, but that distinction was gone with the wind gauge.

The device malfunctioned during the 100 quarterfinals and part of the women’s heptathlon, wiping out any records in those events. Nonetheless, he was delighted.

“I was stunned and shocked,” he said. “I expected to run a 10.1. I looked at the clock and couldn’t believe I ran that so soon.”

Also advancing to today’s semifinals were Canadians Donovan Bailey and Bruny Surin, each clocked at 10.11 seconds, and Ato Boldon of Trinidad & Tobago. Boldon was timed in 10.06 seconds.

In the only major final Saturday, John Godina of Northridge, won the shotput with a throw of 21.87 meters (71 feet, 9 inches). Compatriot Adam Nelson was second at 21.24 (69 feet, 8 1/4 inches). Sydney Olympic gold medalist Arsi Harju of Finland was third.

“I’m very, very happy. This is better than any of the other titles I’ve ever won, I think,” said Godina, a two-time world champion and three-time U.S. champion.

Sydney pole vault gold medalist Stacy Dragila led a field of 12 women who cleared 4.35 meters (14 feet, 3 1/4 inches) and advanced to Monday’s final. Dragila, the defending world champion, didn’t enter until the bar was at 4.25 and cleared that on her first attempt. She cleared 4.35 on her first try.

“I’m running well right now,” she said, “and if I can put everything else together, I should clear high bars.”

Mary Sauer of the U.S. also qualified, but Tracy O’Hara of UCLA and Alicia Warlick no-heighted.

In the first round of the women’s 1,500, Suzy Favor-Hamilton recorded the fourth-best time (4 minutes, 8.89 seconds) to qualify for today’s semifinals. Sarah Schwald also qualified, at 4 minutes, 13.69 seconds, but U.S. champion Regina Jacobs dropped out early because of pain in her right foot. She also failed to complete a race in Sydney, dropping out because of a virus.

Curtis Johnson, third in the 100 at the U.S. championships, pulled out of his 100 heat because of a twinge in a hamstring. . . . NCAA champion Avard Moncur of Auburn was the only runner to break 45 seconds in the first heat of the men’s 400. Moncur, running for the Bahamas, was the top semifinal qualifier at 44.88 seconds. U.S. champion Antonio Pettigrew barely made the cutoff, at 45.74. Leonard Byrd (45.35) and Jerome Young (45.57) of the U.S. also advanced.

Olympic heptathlon champion Denise Lewis of Great Britain withdrew before Saturday’s events because of stomach problems. Defending world champion Eunice Barber of France fouled out in the shotput, pushing her out of the heptathlon. Natalya Sazanovich of Bulgaria leads after four events with 3,923 points. UCLA alum Shelia Burrell is fourth, with 3,741, and U.S. champion DeDee Nathan is eighth, with 3,590.

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Today’s Schedule

Schedule for the second day of the World Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Edmonton, Canada:

* Finals

Women’s shotput, 2:45 p.m., men’s hammer throw, 3:30 p.m., men’s 100 meters, 4:30 p.m.

* Other highlights

First round of women’s 100, first round of men’s 10,000, men’s 400 semifinals, women’s 1,500 semifinals, first round of women’s 400 hurdles.