October 5: Darren Campbell wins 100m Grand Prix Final

Taking advantage of the absence of Maurice Greene, British sprinter Darren Campbell added to a 1998 European Championship and a Olympic Silver medal by winning the 100m at the 16thIAAF Grand Prix final in Doha, Qatar.

American Tim Montgomery was leading out of the blocks but as they reached the halfway point, Campbell drew alongside and just dipped across the line to win in a finishing time of 10.25 seconds to Montgomery's 10.27. Greg Saddler of the USA was third in a race that only included two sprinters not from the USA: Campbell and France's David Patros, who came home last.

Official Result
Men - 100 METRES
Wind: +0.5 m/s 

Pos  Athlete                 Nat   Mark   React
 1   Campbell Darren         GBR   10.25  .190
 2   Montgomery Tim          USA   10.27  .146
 3   Saddler Gregory         USA   10.41  .209
 4   Miller Coby             USA   10.52  .214
 5   Lewis Brian             USA   10.52  .124
 6   Patros David            FRA   10.53  .189

Congratulations to Maurice Greene, Olympic champion in 9.87. Canada's Bruny Surin was not in the final as he pulled up in the semi-final after 15 metres, when he sensed the pain in his hamstring was too great. Ato Boldon and Obadele Thompson medaled behing Greene in the final, click here for a story from AP.

Saturday, September 23, 2000 - 100m Final       Wind: -0.3 m/s
Pos Ln  Athlete            Country   Mark    React
1   5   Greene Maurice     USA       9.87    0.197
2   8   Boldon Ato         TRI       9.99    0.136
3   4   Thompson Obadele   BAR      10.04    0.216
4   3   Chambers Dwain     GBR      10.08 SB 0.174
5   6   Drummond Jon       USA      10.09    0.147
6   1   Campbell Darren    GBR      10.13    0.193
7   7   Collins Kim        STK      10.17    0.210
2       Zakari Abdul Aziz  GHA       DNF     0.180

100m Results (+0.6):

1. Donovan Bailey (CAN)    10.26
2. Christian Malcolm (GBR) 10.29
3. Marcin Nowak (POL)      10.39

An emotional and solemn Frankie Fredericks, Namibia's only Olympic medalist, withdrew from the Sydney Games Sunday with an Achilles' tendon injury. "This is one of the toughest days of my life," said the 32-year-old Fredericks, the silver medalist in the 100 and 200 meters at the 1992 Barcelona Games and the 1996 Atlanta Games. "I thought this would be my time to win the gold medal.

"It wasn't an easy decision to make ... it was very difficult. I wish someone would have made it for me. I'm very sad I can't take part, but for my health, it's best not to."

Having declared himself out of the games, Fredericks tapped world record-holder and two-time world champion Maurice Greene to win the 100-meter gold medal.

"He's the man to beat," Fredericks said. "I can't see anyone else."

Fredericks said the pain in his tendon began in December during heavy training. His doctors advised resting for two months, but when the pain didn't disappear, Fredericks had a successful operation in February.

The pain returned in May, and Fredericks rested again.

He tried competing for the first time this year Sept. 3 at Rieti, Italy.

"Warming up, there was a lot of pain," he said. "I couldn't do the warmup I was used to, but I thought I could run a good time."

He didn't, running 20.79 seconds for the 200, much slower than his career-best of 19.68 in finishing second to Michael Johnson at the 1996 Olympics.

Fredericks said he has no difficulty walking with the injury, "but jogging and running are hard and warming up is the hardest."

Despite his poor performance at Rieti, where the injury worsened, Fredericks went to Yokohama, Japan, in hopes of competing Sept. 9. He couldn't.

From there, he came to Sydney, still hoping to compete in the games. After much treatment and consultation with doctors, he decided to withdraw.

"I could take injections and run," Fredericks said, "but I thought I would do well by waiting until next year.

"I wasn't going to run 20.5 or 20.3 just to say I've run in the Olympics. They could not guarantee there would be no risk. I'm not willing to take that risk.

"The doctors are optimistic that I can run well next year. I've had eight or nine good years. Hopefully I'll be on top again next year."

Fredericks was the first to win an Olympic medal for his little country, taking the 200 world title in 1993. He also was the 200 world silver medalist in 1991, 1995 and 1997. He withdrew from the semifinals of the 100 and then from the final of the 200 at the 1999 world championships with an injury.

In 1996, he ended Johnson's two-year unbeaten streak in the 200, running 19.96 at Oslo. That victory, shortly before the Olympics, stamped him as the favorite at the games.

"In Atlanta, I had a taste of being the favorite," Fredericks said, "but Michael ... ran 19.32. I didn't expect that. It probably was a mistake to beat him before the Olympics."

Fredericks also thought he should have won the Olympic 100. Before the games, he had the two-fastest times in the world, 9.86 and 9.87, and in the heats, he ran 9.93

Canada's Donovan Bailey won the gold with a world-record 9.84.

"Not taking anything away from Donovan ... but I was disappointed in running 9.89," Fredericks said. "If we didn't have so many false starts, who knows what would have happened. And if Linford (Britain's Linford Christie, the 1992 gold medalist) didn't get kicked out ... When your best friend and training partner gets kicked out ... I felt I could have run faster than 9.86."

Christie was disqualified for two false starts.

In 1996, Fredericks also ran nine sub-20 second 200 times, a season's record, and had a record nine legal sub-10.00 100 times in 1997. He also ended last year with a career 26 sub-10.00 times in the 100, another record.

Fredericks was able to compete internationally once Namibia gained independence in 1990 and the International Amateur Athletic Federation approved the country as a member in 1991.

100m (wind: 3.1)

1. Jason Gardener       GBR    10.04
2. Ian Mackie           GBR    10.05
3. L. Bredwood          JAM    10.11

200m (wind: 2.1)

1. Kim Collins          STK    20.37
2. Christopher Williams JAM    20.48
3. Darryl Wholson       AUS    20.63

Barbados' Obadele Thompson won the sprint double at his final meet before the Olympics today in Yokohama, Japan. After winning the 100m in 10.12 (.25 off his PB of 9.87) Thompson scorched the 200m track in 19.97, his first time under 20 seconds over 200m.

"I am very happy to run a personal 200 metre record. I seem to always run pretty well in Japan," said Thompson, whose previous best was 20.03.

"We all know that Michael Johnson and Maurice Greene will not be competing in the 200 metres at the Olympic Games. I think the 200m gold is wide open.

"People like Ato Boldon, young American John Capel and a few others are contesting for the gold, and I think this year I have a very good chance to win it," added Thompson, who was fourth in Atlanta.

Obadele Thompson's time made him only the ninth man in history to run under 10 seconds in the 100 and under 20 in the 200. Joining the company of Carl Lewis, Frank Fredericks and Ato Boldon. The last man to accomplish the feat was Coby Miller of the USA in Sacramento at the Olympic trials.

Men's 100 metres (wind: -0.3)
1. Obadele Thompson (Barbados) 10.12 seconds
2. Shingo Kawabata (Japan) 10.25
3. Frank Fredericks (Namibia) 10.26
Men's 200 metres (wind: -0.9)
1. Obadele Thompson (Barbados) 19.97 seconds
2. Shingo Suetsugu (Japan) 20.26
3. Ricardo Williams (Jamaica) 20.33

Canadian sprint duo Donovan Bailey and Bruny Surin will not compete in Friday's track meet in Brisbane, continuing instead their Olympic preparations on the Gold Coast, organizers said on Thursday.

The pair arrived in Australia two days ago and had considered running in the meet but after talking over their plans with team
management they decided against. They may race in Sunday's meet at Runaway Bay where the Canadian team are based.

Bailey, the defending Olympic 100 meters champion and Surin, a world championship silver medalist last year, were part of the 4x100 meters relay team that stunned the U.S. at Atlanta but Bailey has been struggling for form after a lengthy injury absence.

The man is back, Namibia's Frankie Fredericks returned to action on Sunday in Italy over 200m. The defending Olympic silver medalist in both the 100 and 200 metre sprints finished fourth, not wanting to injure himself before the Sydney games. Fredericks was timed in 20.79, well off the pace set by fellow African Francis Obikwelu of Nigeria who won in 20.21. Norway's Geir Moen was distant second in 20.63.

Results

100m (wind: 0.1)

1. Abdul Aziz Zakari    GHA    10.13
2. Brian Lewis          USA    10.34
3. Dennis Mitchell      USA    10.37
4. John Ertzgaar        NOR    10.40
5. Andrea Colombo       ITA    10.43
6. Marlon Devonish      GBR    10.54

200m (wind: 0.3)

1. Francis Obikwelu     NGR    20.21
2. Geir Moen            NOR    20.63
3. Marlon Devonish      GBR    20.79
4. Frank Fredericks     NAM    20.79
5. Douglas Turner       GBR    21.08
6. Massimiliano Donati  ITA    21.44

The USA unveiled their new uniforms for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, that are now just12 days away. Unfortunatly, no US sprinters were showing off the new uniforms at the Nudgee College track in Brisbane. While all the attention was focused on the feud by the long jump pit between a Australian and two Americans. There was some good sprinting however, featuring the Jamaican team, the Australian team but it was St. Kitts' Kim Collins who attends TCU stole the show:

100m Results (2 heats combined results)

1. Kim Collins, STK 10.15 w:1.3; 2. Matt Shirvington, AUS 10.25 w:1.3; 3. Lindel Frater, JAM 10.31 w:1.3; 4. Donnovan Powell, JAM 10.33 w:1.3; 5. Dwight Thomas, JAM 10.37 w:1.3; 6. Patrick Johnson, AUS 10.49 w:1.3; 7. Paul Dibella, AUS 10.52 w:1.3; 8. Scott Richardson, AUS 10.64 w:1.3; 9. Tim Williams, AUS 10.71 w:1.3; 10. Pat Birgan, QLD 10.78 w:1.3

He was phenoMOnal again today. Maurice Greene blazed to a 9.86 win in Berlin today, a new track record and world's fastest time for 2000. By winning 5 of the 7 golden league meets in the 100m, Maurice Greene will receive a share of the jackpot. Greene won the 100m in Rome, Brussels, Monte Carlo, Zurich and now Berlin. Training partner Jon Drummond was second in 9.96, his first sub10 run since 1997.

Tim Montgomery, another american was third in a seasonal best of 10.01. Bernard Williams was fourth in 10.05, followed by Brian Lewis in 10.13. Canada's Donovan Bailey was sixth in 10.20, ahead of Francis Obikwelu of Nigeria who ran the same time. Trinidad's Ato Boldon was dead last in 10.23

Results

100m Race A (wind: -0.2)

1. Maurice Greene     USA       9.86 WL
2. Jon Drummond       USA       9.96 SB
3. Tim Montgomery     USA      10.01
4. Bernard Williams   USA      10.05
5. Brian Lewis        USA      10.13
6. Donovan Bailey     CAN      10.20
7. Francis Obikwelu   NGR      10.20
8. Ato Boldon         TRI      10.23

100m Race B (wind: -0.2)

1. Abdul Aziz Zakari  GHA      10.13
2. Kenny Brokenburr   USA      10.21
3. John Capel         USA      10.25
4. Curtis Johnson     USA      10.27
5. Tim Harden         USA      10.34
6. Jeff Laynes        USA      10.39
7. Coby Miller        USA      10.39
8. Thomas Muller      GER      10.57

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