Posted: June 27, 2005

Athletics: Clement runs brilliant 400m hurdles; Gatlin completes rare double; Felix leads world at USA Outdoors

LOS ANGELES - At the ripe old age of 19, Kerron Clement entered the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, presented by Visa, with a world indoor record under his belt. He left the track on Sunday with the greatest 400-meter hurdles performance in seven years, Justin Gatlin left with the first men's 100-200 double in 20 years, and Allyson Felix left with another national 200m title.

The concluding event of USA Track & Field's 2005 Visa Championship Series, the meet at the Home Depot Center hosted more than 1,000 athletes as they competed for the right to represent Team USA at the 2005 World Outdoor Track & Field Championships August 6-14 in Helsinki, Finland.

Clement on anything but cruise control

Since breaking Michael Johnson's world indoor 400m record this winter (44.57), some observers had questioned whether Clement should forsake his specialty, the 400m hurdles, for the 400m dash. Clement's performance on Sunday demonstrated the validity of his decision-making as he won in a stunning time of 47.24 seconds. It is the fastest time in the world since 1998, makes him the seventh-fastest man in history, and gave him the title of Visa Champion (see accompanying release.)

Clement ran a smooth race throughout, but his final two hurdles were particular strong as the 6-2, 184 pounder sailed over barriers that often crush dreams the 400 hurdles, considered by many to be track's toughest running event. Bershawn Jackson, the #1 ranked American in 2004, held on for second place in 47.80, running out of lane 1. Two-time Olympian James Carter led the race early and finished third in 48.03.

Gatlin completes historic double

Olympic bronze medalist Justin Gatlin completed a rare sprint double Sunday afternoon, running an impressive final stretch to win the Nike men's 200 meters.

Olympic gold medalist Shawn Crawford got out to a great start in lane 9, leading around the curve. But Gatlin turned it on down the stretch, taking the win in 20.04. Combined with his 100m win on Saturday, it made him the first man to win U.S. 100 and 200-meter titles in the same year since Kirk Baptiste in 1985. Tyson Gay, the 2004 NCAA 100m champion, ran down Crawford for second in 20.06, with Crawford third in 20.12. The 2005 world leader, Wallace Spearmon, got a slow start and was fourth in 20.16.

Felix posts world leader in 200

Olympic silver medalist and Olympic Trials champion Allyson Felix won her second straight national title in the Visa women's 200 meters, turning back fierce competition.

National 100m champion Lisa Barber took and early lead, but Felix used her superior strength to power to the lead in the last half of the race. Her winning time of 22.13 beats her own previous 2005 world leader of 22.14, run on this track at the adidas Track Classic. Rachel Smith moved up to place second in 22.22, and Olympic Trials 100m champion LaTasha Colander nipped Barber at the line for third, running 22.34.

Perry wins Nike women's 100H

Michelle Perry has been the world's top hurdler in 2005, and Sunday did nothing to disabuse the track world of that notion. The former heptathlete ran brilliantly in the second half of the Nike women's 100-meter hurdles, winning in 12.66 (-0.7mps) to relegate Olympic gold medalist Joanna Hayes to second in 12.77. Virginia Powell of Southern Cal was third in 12.87, making the U.S. team for Helsinki an all-California affair, as both Perry and Hayes are UCLA alumnae.

Perry warmed up with a world-leading time of 12.43 seconds in the semifinals, running into a .3mps headwind. The performance improved her personal best and world leader by .01. Hayes won her semi in 12.59.

Cantwell on top

2004 world indoor champion Christian Cantwell returned to his world-leading form in the Visa men's shot put. Coming back from a sub-par indoor season, Cantwell won his first U.S. outdoor title with a throw of 21.64m/71 feet, 1 inch. Two-time world and Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson was second with 21.52m/70-7.25, and three-time world champ John Godina, nursing an ailing foot and ankle, third with 20.99m/68-10.5.

Elizabeth Jackson re-emerged as the top American women's 3,000-meter steeplechaser, just in time for the steeple to be contested for the first time at the World Championships level. The 1999 and 2002 U.S. champion overtook American record holder Briana Shook in the last two laps, winning in 9:39.78 - the #3 U.S. time in history. Lisa Galaviz was second in 9:40.58, and Carrie Messner was third for the second straight year in 9:41.37.

More winners

Hyleas Fountain, the 2005 USA indoor pentathlon champion and 2003 NCAA heptathlon champion, won her first national crown as a professional in the heptathlon with a strong second-day performance, winning with 6,208 points. The 2004 NCAA long jump champion leaped 6.25m/20-6.25 in the long jump (927), threw 46.05 in the javelin (784) and ran 2:16.88 in the 800 (867) to move from fourth after day 1 to first at the close of competition. First-day leader GiGi Miller placed second overall with 6,192 points, and Fiona Asigbee was third in 5,994.

1997 U.S. champion Khadevis Robinson ran a wire-to-wire time trial to win the Herhsey's men's 800 meters. Running clear of the field throughout the race, Robinson won in 1:45.27, followed by 2003 world indoor champion David Krummenacker (1:46.80) and Kevin Hicks (1:46.99).

Two-time Olympian Hazel Clark (1:59.74) won her second U.S. outdoor title in the women's 800 with a strong stretch run. Her training partner, Kameisha Bennett, followed her across the line in 2:00.59, with Alice Schmidt third in 2:02.09.

American record holder Tim Seaman won his fourth U.S. title in the men's 20 km race walk, winning easily in 1:26:41.36, ahead of fellow Olympian John Nunn (1:27:15.75).

McLain breaks AJR in women's triple jump

Erica McLain of Stanford had a huge day in the women's triple jump, breaking the American junior record en route to her first U.S. title. McClain's mark of 14.01m/45-11.75 was the best of three jumps she had that surpassed Brittany Daniels' old record of 13.71m/44-11.75. Candice Baucham was second at 14.00m/45-11.25, and Nicole Whitman was third with 13.78m/45-2.5

Olympic silver medalist Matt Hemingway won the first U.S. outdoor title of his career in the men's high jump with a first-attempt clearance at 2.27m/7-5.25. Jesse Williams and Keith Moffatt were second and third, respectively, at the same height, but Williams' second-attempt clearance gave him second over Moffatt's third-attempt success.

In exhibition events, USATF Athlete of the Week Willie Gault won the masters men's 110-meter hurdles in a wind-aided (+2.7mps) 13.87 seconds, and Mary Thane won the masters women's 1,500 meters (4:42.19).

For complete results, athlete quotes and start lists from the 2005 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, visit www.usatf.org.