Gatlin Runs Away in 100

Justin Gatlin’s parents laughed when he brought home his first track uniform.

“I was lazy,” he said. “They inspired me.”

Willie and Jeanette Gatlin still motivate their 23-year-old son. While they watched from the stands Sunday, Gatlin added the 100-meter world title to his Athens gold medal and did it by 17 hundredths of a second, the largest margin in the 10 world championships held since 1983.

“They’ve only been to the Olympics and world championships. I have to straighten up and act right when they’re around,” Gatlin said after he powered to a season-best time of 9.88 seconds and blew past Michael Frater of Jamaica and Kim Collins of St. Kitts & Nevis, both timed in 10.05.

The largest previous margin was 0.15 of a second, by Carl Lewis over Ray Stewart in 1983, also at Helsinki’s Olympic Stadium. Athens silver medalist Francis Obikwelu of Portugal was fourth Sunday in 10.07, Dwight Thomas of Jamaica was fifth in 10.09 and Irvine resident Leonard Scott was sixth in 10.13.

“A lot of people said the Olympics were a fluke, but I have a record under my belt and I have to work for another record,” said Gatlin, who will double in the 200 starting Tuesday. “I want to mimic Carl Lewis. He won nine Olympic gold medals, and that’s the road I want to be on.”

Gatlin, who won his semifinal in 9.99, has broken 10 seconds nine times. He was so dominant Sunday, it hardly mattered that world-record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica didn’t run because of a torn groin muscle, or that two-time Olympic 100-meter medalist Maurice Greene had been felled by a pulled hamstring at the U.S. championships. Or that Shawn Crawford of the U.S., who missed a month of training because of a foot injury, was eliminated in the semifinals.

“I knew that he was going to win easily,” Obikwelu said. “I knew that I wasn’t very good.

“He’s fantastic. He’s one of the best. Today’s his day, that I can say.”

Powell agreed that Gatlin had earned his title.

“It was a great race,” said Powell, who withdrew from Jamaica’s 400-meter relay team. “He’s a great champion. I respect him a lot.”

Athens heptathlon champion Carolina Kluft of Sweden added a second consecutive world title to her resume, and it was spiced by controversy.

Hampered by a twisted left ankle, Kluft trailed 1999 champion Eunice Barber of France by two points after the first four events. A long jump Sunday of 22 feet 6 1/2 inches vaulted her 40 points into the lead, but replays appeared to show she had committed a foot foul.

Barber cut Kluft’s lead to 18 points in the javelin throw, but Kluft needed to finish only about a second ahead of Barber in the 800 finale to win. She outran Barber by 3.05 seconds and amassed 6,887 points to Barber’s 6,824.

Barber, who trains in Los Angeles, said the foul “was very clear from the big screen,” and said French officials told her they’d protested in vain. Kluft described it as “a good and lucky first jump,” which Barber seized upon as a confession.

“Was it a fault?” Barber asked Kluft at the medalists’ news conference.

“It was very, very close, but it wasn’t over,” Kluft said, eliciting a shrug and skeptical frown from Barber.

That was the only shadow over a day that drew nearly 60,000 people to bask in afternoon sunshine.

Athens pole vault gold medalist Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia effortlessly advanced to Wednesday’s final and positioned herself for an 18th world record. But her predecessor as Olympic champion, Stacy Dragila, was eliminated and is considering bidding farewell to the sport she pioneered.

“I have days I can jump well. I just haven’t been consistent,” Dragila said after clearing 14-5 1/4 but racking up eight misses.

Isinbayeva last month became the first woman to clear five meters (16-4 3/4 ).

On Sunday she passed until 14-5 1/4 and soared over the bar; she cleared 14-7 1/4 with equal ease to join Monika Pyrek of Poland as the only jumpers who didn’t miss.

“I don’t know if I can set a world record here. I would like to make one,” said Isinbayeva, who wears diamond-studded earrings in the shape of the letters PV.

Jillian Schwartz advanced by clearing 14-7 1/4 , and UCLA alumna Tracy O’Hara advanced by clearing 14-5 1/4 with fewer misses than Dragila and others.

Christine Arron of France had the best times in the qualifying and quarterfinal rounds of the women’s 100, at 11.15 and 11.03. Muna Lee, Lauryn Williams and Lisa Barber of the U.S. followed her to today’s semifinals. Barber’s 11.15 was the best quarterfinal time for the Americans, with Williams and Lee at 11.22.

Olympic gold medalist Yuliya Nesterenko of Belarus also moved on, running a season-best 11.21 before cutting that to 11.18 in the quarterfinal.

“It’s very wide open,” Barber said. “Everybody’s on their ‘A’ game right now. May the best woman win.”

James Carter led a U.S. trio into the 400-meter hurdles finals with a season-best 47.78 in his semifinal. Bershawn Jackson (48.19) and a stutter-stepping Kerron Clement (48.49) also advanced.

“In the finals you’ll see a different person,” said Clement, the indoor 400-meter world-record holder. “I’ll be more confident and hungry and go for the gold.”

Athens Olympic champion Felix Sanchez, a USC product, qualified for Tuesday’s final based on his time, a season-best 48.24.

All three U.S. entrants in the women’s 400 advanced to today’s semifinal. Monique Henderson, who won the NCAA 400-meter title for UCLA two months ago, acknowledged she was nervous in her world championships debut.

“I just tried to focus on the track, to look down and run the race,” Henderson said after she eased up and allowed Natalya Antyukh to overtake her before finishing in 51.65 seconds.

Sanya Richards won her heat in 51 seconds, the second-best time after the 50.80 recorded by Russia’s Svetlana Pospelova. Athens gold medalist Tonique Williams-Darling of the Bahamas (51.04) and DeeDee Trotter (51.44) won their heats.

Hazel Clark was the lone American to advance to Tuesday’s 800-meter final after winning her semifinal in 1:59.