Posted: August 3, 2004

Athletics: Sprints provide lion’s share of medals for U.S. women

When Olympic medals are on the line Team USA’s sprinters have delivered in women’s competition. Since winning their first medal of any kind in 1928, American women have won 10 gold medals in the 100 meters, as well as four silver and two bronze, for 16 medals. Elizabeth Robinson won in 1928, with Marion Jones providing a bookend in 2000. Gail Devers (1992, ’96) and Wyomia Tyus (1964, ’68) have contributed two golds apiece.

Sprinters have teamed up for 13 medals in the 4x100-meter relay, with nine gold, two silver and two bronze. American women have won nine medals in the 4x400m relay – five gold and four silver – with the 200 meters providing eight medals (6 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze). In the field, the high jump (4 gold, 3 silver) and long jump (1 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze) have seen the highest medal counts.

For more information on Team USA at the 2004 Olympic Games, visit www.usatf.org.

Miller wins twice, Phillips & Felix set PRs at Linz

2001 USA Indoor 200m champion Coby Miller won the men’s 100m and 200 meters, and men’s long jumper Dwight Phillips and women’s sprint sensation Allyson Felix set new personal bests with their wins Monday at the IAAF Grand Prix in Linz, Austria.

Miller won the men’s 100 meters in 10.15 seconds, with fellow American and 2003 World Outdoor 200m gold medalist John Capel the runner-up in 10.20. In the 200 meters, Miller crossed the finish line first in 20.20 seconds, with 2000 Olympic 4x100m relay gold medalist Bernard Williams the runner-up in 20.25.

In the men’s long jump, reigning World Indoor and Outdoor champion and 2004 Olympic Trials winner Dwight Phillips soared to a career best and world leading mark for the year with a first round leap of 8.60 meters/28 feet, 2.75 inches. Phillips took only one more attempt before pulling out of the competition. Phillips, who surpassed the 28-foot barrier for the first time with his winning effort on Monday, now owns the top five men’s long jump marks in the world this year.

2004 Olympic Trials women’s 200m winner Allyson Felix won the women’s 100 meters Monday with a new personal best time of 11.16 seconds. Felix fought off a strong challenge from Jamaica’s Tayna Lawrence, who placed second in 11.22.

Americans went 1-2 in the women’s 1,500 meters as 2004 Olympic Trials runner-up Jen Toomey won the event in 4 minutes, 7.69 seconds, with Trials third-place finisher Amy Rudolph finishing second in 4:07.73. Both fell short of the Olympic Games ‘A’ qualifying standard of 4:05.80.

Other U.S. winners at Linz included 2000 Olympic bronze medalist and 2004 Olympic Trials third-place finisher Melissa Morrison in the women’s 100m hurdles (12.68 seconds), and 2004 Olympic Trials runner-up Duane Ross in the men’s 110m hurdles (13.30).

For complete results from the Linz Grand Prix , visit www.iaaf.org.