Wet and cold weather conditions didn’t make Sunday’s Prefontaine Classic an ideal setting for world records.
Sprinters Justin Gatlin and Asafa Powell grabbed the spotlight just the same. Running in separate 100-meter races, Gatlin ran the faster of the two, coming in first in 9.88 seconds, tying a Hayward field and meet record set by Shawn Crawford in 2004.
The duo’s races, in front of a crowd of 13,331, highlighted several record-setting performances televised live on ESPN2.
“I’m a patriot of America, and I came here to put on a great show, and that’s what I did,” Gatlin, 24, said.
Powell, 23, said of his race, “We both ran our heats, but no one really won.”
Gatlin and Powell declined to race each other in Eugene, citing financial reasons, which caused meet director Tom Jordan to create two separate 100-meter sections.
“This is my job. This is what I do,” Gatlin said. “I’m supposed to run, make as much money as I can and be successful like your job is to go out there, be a reporter and get the best scoop.”
After Gatlin won his section, he watched from a nearby podium as Powell ran a wind-aided 9.93. The fiercely competitive runners talked respectfully of each other but aren’t likely to hang out any time soon.
“I wouldn’t say we were chummy friends to begin with,” Gatlin said. “We are competitors, and we respect each other’s talent.”
Originally, Gatlin and Powell were set to face off at a Grand Prix meet in Gateshead, England, on June 11.
“We had an agreement in the beginning,” Gatlin said. “The agreement didn’t go through as planned so I have to move on to different races.”
That’s not to say they won’t meet. It’s just going to take longer.
“I’m not saying that it’s not going to happen, because I think that’s what the world wants to see, but the world has to be patient,” Gatlin said. “I promise it will be the best race the world has ever seen.”
May 12 in Doha, Qatar, Gatlin, the subject of a May 22 Sports Illustrated article, flashed across the finish line in 9.76 seconds, breaking the world record of 9.77 seconds held by Powell .
Or so he thought.
Five days later, the International Association of Athletics Federations ruled there had been a timing miscalculation and Gatlin’s time should have been rounded up to 9.77.
Both Gatlin and Powell are now headed in separate directions. Gatlin is going to New York on Saturday and Powell to Oslo, Norway.
With a host of Olympic medalists in attendance, multiple Hayward Field and Prefontaine records were tied or broken. Russia’s Yelena Slesarenko tied the Hayward Field mark and set the Prefontaine record in the high jump at 6 feet, 6 1/4 inches. Erin Gilreath set the field and meet record in the hammer throw (229-1). Walter Davis set the meet record in the triple jump with a leap of 57-1.
American Bernard Lagat headlined nine sub-4 minute times in the Bowerman Mile. Lagat’s time of 3 minutes, 51.53 seconds was one of three times Sunday that stand as the fastest in the world this year. Alan Webb, dealing with an injured right hamstring, closed in 11th place in 4:00.87. Webb set the prep mile record of 3:53.43 in 2001 at Hayward (set 36 years earlier by Jim Ryun) and broke the American two-mile record in 8:11.48 last year.
Chinese fan favorite and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Liu Xiang won the 110-meter hurdles in 13.21 seconds. Xiang shares the world record of 12.91.
In the 400, American Sanya Richards beat her closest competitor, Jamaica’s Shericka Williams, by four-tenths of a second in a first-place time of 50.89 seconds.
“I opened up better than I did last year, so even though the time was slower here, I know
I’m still in good shape,” Richards said. “I’m right where I want to be right now.”
Oregon throwers Britney Henry and Brittany Hinchcliffe hurried home late Saturday night from the West Regionals in Provo, Utah, and joined an elite field of hammer throwers Sunday afternoon. Both wanted a perspective on where they stood worldwide.
“I didn’t have any expectations going in,” Hinchcliffe said. “I just wanted to have a good time and participate, mostly.”
Hinchcliffe threw a personal record of 210-5 the day before. On Sunday, she placed 10th with a throw of 198-1 and said afterwards that she came to experience the Prefontaine Classic’s first women’s hammer competition.
With a field including Gilreath, (American record holder, 242-4), Esther Balassini (241-5 in 2005), Jennifer Joyce (224-8) and Ivana Brkljacic (232-11), Gilreath emerged the winner with a throw of 229-1. Henry came in sixth by throwing 214-11.
“I actually had a hard time not watching the throwers as I was competing,” Hinchcliffe said. “It’s a first experience for me – amazing throwers. They are doing exactly what I want to do eventually.”
Henry, who placed fourth (209-3) at Regionals, wanted extra work prior to the NCAA Championships, held June 7-10 in Sacramento, Calif.
“There is a few things I would like to fix, but you can’t take those back,” Henry said. “I competed pretty well for what I’ve been doing this weekend.”
She sprained her ankle prior to the Pacific-10 Conference Championships and reportedly still wore an air brace late last week.
“It’s getting a lot better,” Henry said. “It’s not a factor anymore.”
Another Oregon athlete, Tommy Skipper, was named on event lists but did not participate in the pole vault.