Posted: August 8, 2004

Athletics: Team USA sets world-leading marks in Munich

Team USA flexed its competitive muscle a pre-Olympic "Team Challenge" with France and Germany on Sunday in Munich, posting three world leaders in relay competition and sweeping several events.

Team USA's women's 4x100 and 4x400m relays and the men's 4x400 all ran world-leading times, while the men's 4x400 also had a strong win. The women's relays both went 1-2 in their races, as the Team USA "I" team of Angela Williams, Marion Jones, Lauryn Williams and Latasha Colander executed perfect handoffs to win in 41.67 seconds. USA "II" - Angela Daigle, Allyson Felix, Stephanie Durst and LaShaunte'a Moore - was second in 41.65. In the 4x400m, the USA II Team of Moushaumi Robinson, 400m hurdlers LaShinda Demus and Sheena Johnson and NCAA runner-up Monique Henderson staged an upset of sorts, their time of 3:20.88 surpassing the "I" team of NCAA champion DeDee Trotter, Olympic Trials champion Monique Hennagan, two-time Olympic relay gold medalist Jearl Miles-Clark and Olympic Trials runner-up Sanya Richards (3:20.91), as Henderson overtook Richards in the final meters.

The men's relays also provided USA sweeps. The USA I team of Olympic Trials 200m champion Shawn Crawford, 100m runner-up Justin Gatlin, relay pool member Coby Miller and Trials champion and Olympic gold medalist Maurice Greene turned in an impressive win in 37.92 seconds. USA II (John Capel, Leonard Scott, Darvis Patton, Terrence Trammell) was second in 38.33. In the 4x400, Team USA I's lineup of Andrew Rock, Otis Harris, Jeremy Wariner and Darold Williamson ran 3:00.58 to win easily over Team USA II (James Carter, Angelo Taylor, Bennie Brazell, Bershawn Jackson - 3:04.96).

In individual events, 1-2 finishes were the order of the day for Team USA. Shawn Crawford led a 1-2 finish in the men's 100 meters with a wind-aided time of 10.14, with John Capel second at 10.16. NCAA and Olympic Trials champion Jeremy Wariner ran his sixth sub-45-second clocking of the year in the men's 400 meters, running 44.91 to win over fellow Olympian Otis Harris (45.86). Relay pool member Kelly Willie won the B race in 45.29. Olympic Trials runner-up Charlie Gruber (3:43.89) and Rob Myers (3:44.02) took the top two spots in the 1,500 meters.

Also winning their men's events were 2003 world indoor and outdoor gold medalist Dwight Phillips, who leaped 8.20m/26-11 to win the men's long jump; Olympic Trials runner-up Reese Hoffa in the shot put (21.17m/69-5.5); Ron Bramlett in the 110m hurdles (13.36); and Phil McMullen in the three-event competition (discus, 110mhurdles, 200m - 1,752 points).

In women's competition, Jones won the long jump with a mark of 6.82m/22-4.5 into a 1.6 mps wind, with Team USA's Grace Upshaw second at 6.74/22-1.5. Amy Acuff had her best effort of the year, winning the high jump with a clearance at 2.00m/6-6.75 - just one centimeter off her personal best - followed by fellow Olympian Chaunte Howard at 1.93m/6-4. Suziann Reid (50.79) and Crystal Cox (51.00) went 1-2 in the 400. Also posting individual wins were Hazel Clark in the 800m (2:02.55) and Joanna Hayes in the 100m hurdles (12.61)

For a complete meet report and results, visit www.iaaf.org.