ATLANTA – There were plenty of highlights at the 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in the Georgia Dome this weekend where American stars rose to the occasion by turning in some of their best performances of the season.
Maurice Greene tied his own world record of 6.39 seconds in the semifinals of the 60 meters. He dominated the race from start to finish and went on to win the final of the 60 in 6.51. "I am happy with how the race turned out and how I performed. In the semifinals, I timed the race just right. In the finals, the last two steps I slowed up on and that is what affected my time," he said.
Greene said he would not be participating in the Worlds next week. "My plan is to continue training and try to break the outdoor record," he said. "Part of the reason that I came to compete today was for motivation. I am constantly looking for ways to challenge and push myself."
Several other Americans turned in top performances at the meet as well. Lawrence Johnson set an American record, and Stacy Dragila and Terrence Trammell won new cars and the Pontiac Grand Prix Cup.
Johnson set the new U.S. mark in the men's pole vault with a clearance of 19-6.5. He then took three unsuccessful attempts at 20-2.5, which would have given him the world record.
"I have been training at the world record for a while now and that's my goal and where my focus is," he said. "On the last attempt I moved my hand up just a little bit and that's the closest I got. If I had done that on the first two attempts at the world record it might've happened."
Johnson said he has been working John Smith and he feels stronger and faster down the runway. "That's a big reason why I'm confident enough to go hard for the world record," Johnson said. "I've believed for a long time that I'm the best athlete in this event and it's up to me to prove it. I expect to get the world record this year during the outdoor season. I've never been more confident."
Dragila has been having a superb season in which she has reset the world record in the women's pole vault four times. On Friday, she won her sixth consecutive U.S. indoor women's pole vault title while Trammell won the GMC Envoy men's 60-meter hurdles on Saturday with a time of 7.49 seconds.
