Problems Aren’t All Left in Dust

The dust never really settles in Sacramento, but after eight days of blood, sweat, tears, angst, vitriol, innuendo and the omnipresent specter of steroids, the schedule finally ran out of events Sunday evening, meaning the 2004 U.S. Olympic track and field trials had to be over.

As a stream of fatigued sportswriters trudged back to the press box one last time to ration precious bottles of chilled water to keep from keeling over on top of their keyboards, a few gathered around Craig Masback, besieged chief executive of USA Track and Field, who cheerily told them, “I can’t imagine having a better day at the Olympic trials than what we experienced today.”

Except for Torri Edwards, bronze medalist in the women’s 200 meters, breaking out in tears during her post-race news conference and vowing to “fight my case” against charges that she knowingly used a banned stimulant during a meet earlier this year.

And Emanuel Hudson, president of Edwards’ HSI track club, snarling at reporters over media coverage of alleged, and acknowledged, drug infractions by HSI athletes.

And women’s pole vault champion Stacy Dragila saying, “It’s embarrassing to be in a sport right now that’s getting so much scrutiny. I mean, I’m all for [the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s] getting the cheaters out of our sport, but it’s embarrassing.”

And a Sacramento police officer rifling through a reporter’s computer bag at the media check-in station and confiscating a suspicious-looking package.

Of chocolate chip cookies.

So what have we learned after eight days of competition here? That it’s easier slipping THG past the gates of the U.S. track and field trials than a bag of waistline-enhancing cookies?

We do know this much: The U.S. track and field trials aren’t over even when they’re over.

With Edwards facing a USADA arbitration hearing in Orange County today to determine her Olympic eligibility and Gail Devers winning the women’s 100-meter hurdles final with a time of 12.547 seconds, a scenario allowing Marion Jones to compete in the 100 meters in Athens continues to develop.

Edwards and Devers finished second and fourth, respectively, in the women’s 100 final in Sacramento. Jones placed fifth, two spots out of the running. But if Edwards is banned from competing in Athens, and Devers elects to drop the 100 to focus her energies on the hurdles, Jones could move into the third slot on the U.S. women’s 100-meter team.

Twice an Olympic champion in the 100 meters but never a medalist in the hurdles, Devers was asked if she’d made a decision as to whether she’d participate in both events in Athens.

“Now when have you ever known me to do something that you guys want me to do?” Devers replied with a laugh.

“You know what, I’ve never made a hasty decision, I’m not going to start. As far as the 100 meters [is concerned], as far as I know, nothing has been decided. I guess it will [today] or something like that. So there’s no decision to be made.

“To be honest, I’ve not looked at the Olympic schedule, at all, for the hurdles or the 100. Because my goal was not even to come here. So I came here and I haven’t looked past this. So when I go to declare, hopefully they have a schedule that I can look over, then I’m going to go home and pray on it.

“And if there’s a decision to be made, I’m going to let God make that decision for me.”

Edwards finished third in a women’s 200 final field depleted by Jones’ withdrawal after the quarterfinals. Allyson Felix of Los Angeles won the event in 22.28 seconds, followed by Muna Lee at 22.36 and Edwards at 22.39.

“It’s been a tough week for me, dealing with all this,” Edwards said.

Wiping away tears, Edwards said, “I just wanted to stick with it and go through the 200 and let everybody know that I am innocent. And I’m going to go and I’m going to fight my case.”

Shaun Crawford and Justin Gatlin, third and second to Maurice Greene in the men’s 100 final, placed 1-2 in the 200 Sunday. Crawford recorded his second sub-20-second time of the meet, 19.99 seconds. Gatlin took the silver in 20.01, with Bernard Williams clinching the third berth in 20.30.

Among the other results:

* Alan Webb blew apart the men’s 1,500-meter final at the midway point, pulling away from the pack after 800 meters with a sprint that enabled him to win easily in a time of 3 minutes 36.13 seconds. Charlie Gruber placed second at 3:38.45, Rob Myers third at 3:38.93. Only Webb has met the “A” Olympic standard in the event thus far, making him the only competitor assured of a berth on the Olympic team.

* Carrie Tollefson won the women’s 1,500 final with a mark of 4:08.32 in a race Suzy Favor Hamilton opted not to run and Marla Runyan failed to finish, citing fatigue. Hamilton could still make the team because she has met the “A” standard of 4:07.80; neither Tollefson nor runners-up Jennifer Toomey and Amy Rudolph have met the standard this season.

* Dragila clinched her eighth U.S. women’s pole vault title with a height of 15 feet 7 inches. Second-place Jillian Schwartz and third-place Kellie Suttle both cleared 14-11.

* Terrence Trammell won the men’s 110-meter hurdles in 13.09 seconds, ahead of Duane Ross (13.21) and Allen Johnson (13.25). Johnson, Olympic gold medalist in 1996, qualified for his third Olympic team.

* Sacramento Valley High graduate Jamie Nieto pleased the home crowd with a personal-best height of 7-7 3/4 to win the men’s high jump. The second and third spots went to Matt Hemingway (7-6 1/2) and Tora Harris (7-5 1/4).

* Jarred Rome won the men’s discus throw with a mark of 215-9. Ian Waltz was second with 212-3, Casey Malone third at 211-6. Defending U.S. champion Carl Brown failed to qualify, placing fourth at 203-4.

Medalists at the trials who still need the “A” standard to qualify for the Olympics have until Aug. 9 to do so.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Sunday’s Finals

Top three qualify for U.S. Olympic team:

*--* MEN 200 METERS 1. Shawn Crawford, 19.99. 2. Justin Gatlin, 20.01. 3. Bernard Williams, 20.30. 1,500 METERS 1. Alan Webb, 3:36.13. 2. Charlie Gruber, 3:38.45.* 3. Rob Myers, 3:38.93.* 110 HURDLES 1. Terrence Trammell, 13.09. 2. Duane Ross, 13.21. 3. Allen Johnson, 13.25. HIGH JUMP 1. Jamie Nieto, 7 feet 7 3/4 inches. 2. Matt Hemingway, 7-6 1/2. 3. Tora Harris, 7-5 1/4. DISCUS 1. Jarred Rome, 215 feet 9 inches. 2. Ian Waltz, 212-3. 3. Casey Malone, 211-6.

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*--* WOMEN 200 METERS 1. Allyson Felix, 22.28. 2. Muna Lee, 22.36. 3. Torri Edwards, 22.39. 1,500 METERS 1. Carrie Tollefson, 4:08.32.* 2. Jennifer Toomey, 4:08.43.* 3. Amy Rudolph, 4:08.57.* 20K RACE WALK 1. Teresa Vail, 1:35:57.00. 2. Joanne Dow, 1:38:42.00. 3. Bobbi Chapman, 1:39:01.00. 100 HURDLES 1. Gail Devers, 12.547. 2. Joanna Hayes, 12.549. 3. Melissa Morrison, 12.61. POLE VAULT 1. Stacy Dragila, 15 feet 7 inches. 2. Jillian Schwartz, 14-11. 3. Kellie Suttle, 14-11.

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* Competitors have until Aug. 9 to reach the “A” standard to qualify for the Olympics.