The head of the United States Track and Field Association was pleased with the Americans' showing at the IAAF World Outdoor Track and Field Championships last month. There were many highlights for the U.S. men's and women's squads, who both won the team titles and compiled a total of 11 gold medals.
"I was very happy with the U.S. performance at the Worlds," USATF CEO Craig Masback said. "We won four more gold medals than in Athens, a total of 11 golds - one quarter of all golds offered - and our women won the meet for the first time, scoring places one to eight. Our men won as usual."
Masback was also complimentary about some of the individual milestones reached by U.S. team members, including Maurice Greene's accomplishments. Greene won gold medals in the 100, 200 and in the 4 by 100. Green's 100 and 200 victories marked the first time ever a male sprinter in the World Championships has captured gold in both those events. He also defended the 100-meter crown he had won two years ago in Athens.
"For Maurice to accomplish something that even Carl Lewis never accomplished is very impressive," Masback said. "He looked very tired at the end of the 200 meters and 4 by 100 meters, but deserves great credit for what he achieved."
Gail Devers set a new American mark of 12.37 in the 100-meter hurdles. She was golden in that event. Devers' time of 12.37 was the fastest time in the world this year and it was her third World Championships victory in the 100-meter hurdles. Devers previously won gold medals in 1993 and 1995. Devers has now won seven World Championship medals in her career, five of them golds.
Masback called Devers one of the most incredible athletes in history. "Every time injury gets her down or people doubt her, she comes back stronger than ever," he said. "Her American record performance in the hurdles given the dearth of racing that she has done in the event over the last three years is amazing." U.S. sprinter Michael Johnson made history once again by breaking the 400m record formerly held by Butch Reynolds, a record that had stood for 11 years. Johnson set the new-world mark at 43.18. Johnson now holds the 200m and 400m world marks - the first man to achieve this since Tommie Smith held both records some 30 years ago.
U.S. sprinter and long jumper Marion Jones won gold in the 100 and bronze in the long jump, and then she collapsed during the second semi-final of the 200m. "Marion withdrew from the rest of her season after sustaining a back injury," Masback said. "I think she made the intelligent choice, having competed frequently in 1998 and having traveled quite a bit in 1999. She'll be ready to run in 2000."
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