A hobbling Maurice Greene pulled out of the men's 200 metres final but Kelli
White and teenage prodigy Allyson Felix realised their dreams in the women's
race at the US championships on Sunday.
Three times world champion Gail Devers, 36, also qualified for the world
championships in Paris in August, winning the women's 100 metres hurdles in
12.61 seconds.
Greene told reporters he withdrew at his coach's insistence after the Olympic
and three times 100 metres world champion hobbled off the track after a
semi-final from which he struggled to qualify.
The decision means Greene, who has been suffering from tendinitis in his
right knee, will compete only in the 100 metres and the 4x100 metres relay in
Paris. He has an automatic berth in the 100 as the world champion.
"If he had been in lane eight, it might have been different," Greene's coach,
John Smith, said after learning his sprinter would have to run the tight curve
of lane one in the final, as he did in the semi-final.
"I looked at him and asked, 'are you going to run the 200 in Paris?", Smith
said. "He said 'probably not', so I said 'what are we doing here?".
Darvis Patton won the 200 final in 20.15 seconds, with 2000 US Olympic trials
champion John Capel second in 20.17.
TEARS OF JOY
White completed a sprint double with victory in the women's 200 metres,
clocking a personal best 22.21 seconds. She won the 100 on Friday in the
season's fastest time, 10.93, another personal best.
"The rest of us in the race are finally getting seen," said White when asked
about the absence of triple Olympic champion Marion Jones, who is expecting her
first child next month.
"She's great but...you guys finally know our names.
"I wanted this so badly," White said of the double. "I cried tears of joy,
instead of last year when I cried tears of pain (because of an injury)."
Torri Edwards was second in the 200 in 22.45 seconds, with 17-year-old Felix
powering home to finish third in 22.59.
Felix, who last month set the world junior record of 22.11 seconds, started
poorly but rallied despite a sore left hamstring she sustained in the
semi-final.
Devers, who also made the US team in the 100 metres, said she was still
having fun despite her age.
"I think God keeps dangling this carrot in front of me, saying 'I'm not
through with you'," the world indoor hurdles champion said.
World indoor 800 metres gold medallist David Krummenacher also won, clocking
1" World Student Games title holder Kenta Bell emerged as a world championship
contender as he won the men's triple jump with a leap of 17.59 metres. Walter
Davis (17.55) was second.
The top three in each of the finals here qualified for Paris as long as they
met the qualifying standards.
