Lewis outrun in 200m by compatriot

Press, 29 September 1988, Page 43

Lewis outrun in 200m by compatriot

Seoul Olympics

NZPA-Reuter Seoul Carl Lewis’ hopes of a sweep of four gold medals at successive Olympics were dashed for the second time in four days yesterday.

Lewis was outrun in the 200 metres final by teammate, Joe DeLoach, after Ben Johnson’s disqualification from Saturday’s 100 metres final gave him that gold by default and a second shot at the unprecedented sweep. DeLoach sped home in 19.75 seconds to equal the second fastest time ever and leave Lewis with silver in 19.79. Lewis collected the silver behind Johnson on - Saturday before the Cana- ' dian world record holder was thrown out of the Games on Tuesday. The pole vault favourite, Sergei Bubka, and the 19-year-old Steve Lewis, ‘who beat the world 400 : metres record holder, Butch Reynolds, also . struck gold on a day when the scandal surrounding Johnson’s hurried and ■- shameful exit from the “ Games hung heavy over ■ the Olympic stadium. £ Lewis bettered his »world junior record for " the fifth time this season as he plundered the gold ahead of Reynolds to lead the Americans to their third medals sweep in the event. Reynolds shattered the event’s 20-year-old world record when he ran 43.29 seconds in Zurich six weeks ago but Lewis upstaged him in Seoul by attacking early and hanging on in the closing straight to withstand Reynolds’ late charge. He clocked 43.87 and Reynolds 43.93. The two-times world champion, Bubka, the only man to have cleared six metres, clinched his first Olympic title after soaring clear at 5.90 metres to lead the Soviet Union to a sweep of the

medals. It was the first time for 60 years that all three pole vault medals had gone to one nation. But Bubka was jeered and booed after refusing to attempt a world record 6.10 metres — the magical 20-feet barrier — after standing on the runway for nearly two minutes in preparation. The silver medallist, Radion Gataullin, came to his aid by demanding, and receiving, applause for his victorious colleague. Debbie Flintoff-King overcame the tragedy of her sister’s death just before the Games to win the women’s 400 metres hurdles title. The 28-year-old Australian world championship silver medallist powered off the final barrier to snatch victory on the line from the Soviet Union’s Tatyana Ledovskaia in the second fastest time ever of 53.17. DeLoach beat Lewis over 200 metres at the United States trials and always had the measure Of his compatriot. The 21-year-old Texan was away well, but running in lane six, was in Lewis’ sights throughout. The defending champion closed in the straight but lost by a metre. Afterwards DeLoach said: “I’m in the best form of my life but I hate to be the one to come between Carl and his dream. “Thirty metres out I

sensed , Carl was there but I continued to concentrate, I surged 20 metres out and was able to come back.” Asked what Carl Lewis’ first words to him were, DeLoach replied: “Well done. It’s been a long year. Congratulations.” In the 400 metres final the Nigerian Innocent Egbunike, the man who dragged Reynolds to the world record in Zurich, set the early pace. But this time Reynolds paid the price for not reacting. Instead it was 19-year-old Steve Lewis who swept off the bend ahead and maintained his composure to become only the fifth man to break the 44second barrier. “I was an underdog,” Lewis said. “People doubted me. They said I lacked experience and put limits on my age. “But you have to go out there and do’it whatever your age and that’s what I did. I wanted to go out fast to the second curve. I hoped I had enough strength to come home and as it was I was able to hold it all the way.” Reynolds caught Danny Everett on the run in but ran out of track before he could catch Lewis. Afterwards he said: "I probably did lose at the start. I had a lot left in the final straight but it was not enough.” The Americans also swept the 400 medals in 1968 and 1904.