Posted: May 25, 2004

Athletics: USATF News - Monday, May 24th

Seaman breaks 15 year old mark, gets Olympic "A" standard

2000 Olympian Tim Seaman set a new American 20 km race walk record and bettered an Olympic “A” qualifying standard for the first time in his career with his win Sunday at Vallensbaek Park in Phonixmarsjen, Denmark.

Seaman crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 22 minutes, 2 seconds to break the previous record of 1:22:17 set in 1989 by Tim Lewis in Dearborn, Michigan. As well as breaking the 20 km record by 15 seconds, en route Seaman also broke the 15 km record set by Lewis by one second with his time of 1:01:30. With his performance on Sunday, Seaman posted his eighth and ninth American records.

Seaman joins Kevin Eastler and John Nunn as the only three Americans with the Olympic "A" standard (1:23:0) for the 20 km race walk.

Phillips set world leader in Mexico

2003 World indoor and outdoor champion Dwight Phillips posted the best outdoor long jump mark in the world this season with his win Sunday at the Banamex Grand Prix in Mexico City.

Phillips won the event with his leap of 8.44meters/27 feet, 8.25 inches on his first jump and then called it a day by skipping his five remaining attempts. Phillips set the previous 2004 world best on May 8 with his winning jump of 8.43m/27-8 at the Modesto Relays.

Also at Mexico City, four-time world outdoor 110m hurdles champion and 1996 Olympic gold medalist Allen Johnson was an easy winner in 13.08 seconds. Johnson’s performance set a new Olympic Stadium record, easily bettering the gold medal winning performance of 13.33 seconds by American Willie Davenport at the 1968 Olympic Games. Dominique Arnold was a distant second behind Johnson in 13.39, with Cuba’s Yoel Hernandez third in 13.42. Johnson’s performance is the second fastest in the world this year.

Americans finished 1-2 in the men’s 200 meters as 2003 World Athletics Finals winner J.J. Johnson won the event in 20.29 seconds over countryman and reigning World Outdoor champion John Capel (20.34).

Surgery scheduled for Stringfellow

Reigning world indoor men’s long jump champion Savante Stringfellow is scheduled to undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a tear in his right Achilles' tendon. Stringfellow suffered the injury Saturday at the Home Depot Invitational in Carson, Calif.

Dr. James Andrews, Chairman and Medical Director of the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) at the HEALTHSOUTH Medical Center in Birmingham, Ala., will perform the surgery.

Stringfellow's recovery is anticipated to take six months.

From USATF.org.