Clement on anything but cruise control

Since breaking Michael Johnson's world indoor 400m record this winter (44.57), some observers had questioned whether Kerron 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.

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).

Gatlin wins battle of titans in Visa men's 100

The Visa men's 100 meters continued to provide drama after being the center of attention during first-round heats on Friday. Saturday afternoon's nine-man final was a much-anticipated affair pitting 2004 Olympic gold medalist Justin Gatlin against 2000 gold medalist and three-time world champion Maurice Greene, as well as Olympic 200m gold medalist Shawn Crawford, who had been the class of the first two rounds.

As the gun went off in the final, Leonard Scott burst from the blocks in lane 4, clear of the field, with Greene getting out well in lane 6 while Crawford got left flat-footed in lane 5. At 30 meters, Greene, Gatlin (in lane 7) and Crawford began moving on Scott. Greene began surging but then pulled up and crumpled to the track, grabbing what appeared to be his left hamstring, 70 meters into the race.

In the meantime, Gatlin put on a stunning burst of speed in the final third in the race. Looking as if he were launched from a slingshot despite a 2.3mps headwind, the 23-year-old Jesse Owens Award winner won easily in 10.08, with Crawford showing great composure to move up to second in 10.17, and Scott finishing third in 10.18.

In the semifinal round earlier Saturday afternoon, Crawford ran a U.S.-leading time of 9.99 in heat 1, followed by Gatlin in 10.00. Greene won heat 3 in 10.01.

Richards leads remarkable Visa women's 400m

The Visa women's 400 meters rewrote several record books and many personal-record ledgers, marking the first time in history three Americans have broken 50 seconds in the same race. Olympic relay gold medalist Sanya Richards, now training with Clyde Hart - the coach of Jeremy Wariner, Darrold Williamson and Michael Johnson, among others - was the class of an impressive field, winning in 49.28 seconds.

The time is a huge personal best for the 2003 USA and NCAA champion, the top time in the world in 2005, a USA Championships record, and it makes the 20-year-old the third-fastest American of all time. The old meet record of 49.40 was set by Jearl Miles-Clark in 1997, the previous world leader was 49.85 by Olympic gold medalist Tonique Darling of Bahamas, and Richards' old personal best was 49.89.

But Richards' was not the only remarkable performance in the race. Her Olympic relay teammates and fellow gold medalists, Dee Dee Trotter (49.88) and Monique Henderson (49.96) also broke the 50-second mark. Both women charted personal bests with their efforts, and Henderson, recently of UCLA, broke her own collegiate record.

Hot race in Nike men's 400 meters

The only thing that was certain entering the Nike men's 400m final was that it featured the youngest, most talented corps of quarter milers in at least a generation. Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner, 21, entered the race as an underdog on paper, with Darrold Williamson, 22, owning the 2005 world leader and 18-year-old LaShawn Merritt turning heads. Also in the field were Olympic bronze medalist Derrick Brew and Olympic relay gold medalist Andrew Rock.

Brew set the early pace, with Merritt also out well. But coming around the final turn, Wariner displayed the speed and composure that made him the toast of the track world in 2004, winning comfortably in a world-leading time of 44.20. His former Baylor teammate and Athens relay teammate, the NCAA champion Williamson, was second in 44.62, with former NCAA Division III champion Rock, 23, passing Merritt a foot from the finish line, to place third in 44.70. Merritt was fourth in 44.73.

AR, WL for Gilreath in hammer; AR for Vaill in walk

Erin Gilreath already had her second straight USA outdoor title in the women's hammer throw wrapped up when, on the final throw of the competition, she unleashed a throw of 73.87m/242-4 to break her own American record and post the top mark in the world so far in 2005. The mark was an improvement on her previous AR of 72.12m/236-7 from 2004 and is nearly a meter better than Russian Yekaterina Khoroshikh's previous 2005 world leader of 73.08m/239-9. Bethany Hart placed second with 69.15m/226-10, and Amber Campbell was third with 68.95m/226-2.

Teresa Vaill, the 42-year-old, 2004 Olympian, broke the American record in the 20,000m race walk with her time of 1:33:28.15. The time is believed to be a world masters record as well. Amber Antonia was second in 1:36:03.23, followed by Joanne Dow 1:37:14.81. Vaill's time easily topped Danielle Kirk's American record of 1:38:19.1, set in 2000, and it also is a USA Championships record.

Barber scalps Hershey's women's 100m field

The surprise of the sprinting world in 2005, Lisa Barber continued her eye-opening season with a convincing win in the Hershey's women's 100 meters. Barber got out well and displayed control and smooth form as she breezed to a win in 11.10, running into a headwind of 1.6 meters per second. Muna Lee, an Olympian at 200m, was second in 11.28 with Olympic silver medalist Lauryn Williams third in 11.29. Barber ran the fastest time in the world in any conditions of 2005 with her wind-aided (+3.0mps) semifinal clocking of 10.87.

U.S. track titles for Demus, Lincoln, Webb, Clement, Davis

World junior record holder and 2004 Olympian Lashinda Demus, a Long Beach native, moved powerfully on the final turn and easily won the women's 400-meter hurdles. Her personal-best time of 53.35 is a U.S. leader and the second-fastest in the world so far this year. Shauna Smith was second in 54.21, with Sandra Glover third in 54.62.

2004 Olympic Trials champion Daniel Lincoln broke away from Olympic Trials runner-up Anthony Famiglietti in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase with 500 meters to go. Surging away easily, Lincoln went on to win in a 2005 U.S.-leading and stadium-record time of 8:17.27. Famiglietti was second in 8:20.49, with Steve Slattery third in 8:25.52.

The Nike men's 1,500m was a tactical affair as the pack came through 800 meters in just 2:04.1. The pace then picked up marginally, with Olympian Charlie Gruber taking the lead, followed by Olympic Trials champion Alan Webb. With 275 meters to go, the pack quickened its pace as one, with Webb on the rail. The American 2-mile record holder successfully held off Chris Lukezic of Georgetown, 6th at the NCAA Championships and Webb's training partner, to win in 3:41.97. Lukezic was second in 3:42.06, and 2004 U.S. indoor champ Rob Myers was third in 3:42.27.

Georgetown alum Treniere Clement ran a personal best and the fastest time by an American this year in the women's 1,500m, winning in 4:06.73. Two-time U.S. indoor champion Jen Toomey was second in 4:07.39, and Amy Mortimer was second in 4:07.59.

Dragila, Davis win in the field

Continuing her climb back from Achilles tendon injuries, Stacy Dragila won her ninth U.S. outdoor and 17th overall national title in the women's pole vault. Dragila successfully negotiated 4.45m/14-7.25 for the win. U.S. leader Tracy O'Hara was second at 4.40m/14-5.25, with Olympian Jillian Schwartz third at the same height.

Two-time Olympian Walter Davis won the men's triple jump with a mark of 17.15m/56-3.25. Fellow Olympian Kenta Bell was second with 16.82m/55-2.25, and Aarik Wilson was third with 16.73m/54-10.75.

Perry rolls in rounds

Posting top marks in the rounds on Sunday were Michelle Perry in the women's 100m hurdles (12.52, third fastest in world in 2005), Kenneth Ferguson in the men's 400m hurdles semifinals (48.65), Rachelle Boone-Smith in the women's 200 first round (22.53), and Tyson Gay in the men's 200m first round (20.38).

GiGi Miller led after day 1 of the women's heptathlon with 3,705 points, posting marks of 13.03 in the 100m hurdles (1,120 points), 1.69m/5-6.5 in the high jump (842), 13.05m/42-9.75 in the shot put (731) and 23.68 in the 200 (1,012).

Johnson wins blazing hurdles race

Four-time world champion Allen Johnson won one of the greatest 110-meter hurdles races in history, leading the way for an amazing American contingent for Helsinki that ran the three fastest times of 2005 in Friday's final.

Two-time Olympic silver medalist Terrence Trammell got out to a great start, with Johnson and Dominique Arnold - second to Johnson at the Reebok Grand Prix June 11 - moving well in the last half of the race.

The 34-year-old Johnson crossed the line in 12.99 seconds, his fastest time since 2003 and the fastest in the world in 2005, to win his seventh U.S. outdoor title. Arnold was just .02 behind, in a personal-best 13.01, while Trammell also had a personal-best 13.02 to post the fastest third-place time in hurdling history. Joel Brown was fourth in 13.28 and also will be on the team for worlds, since Johnson as defending champion has an automatic berth into the world championships.

Decathlon discus WR for Clay

Olympic silver medalist Bryan Clay dominated the men's decathlon field, scoring 8,506 points for an easy win over Paul Terek (7,976) and Phil McMullen (7,795).

Clay opened Friday with the fastest 110-meter hurdle time of the day, 14.06, for 967 points. He then broke the 26-year-old world decathlon record in the discus, his throw of 55.87m/183-3 surpassing the previous record of 55.00m/180-5 set in 1979 by Bulgarian Razvigor Yankov. The mark earned Clay 993 points.

Clay's day concluded with marks of 5.0m/16-4.75 in the pole vault (910 points), 60.02m/196-11 (738) in the javelin and 4:57.11 in the 1,500 (576 points).

Broe magnificent in 5,000

Two-time defending champion Tim Broe shattered the Championships record in the men's 5,000 meters, his time of 13:12.76 leading three men under Doug Padilla's 1985 mark of 13:16.42.

The American indoor record holder at 3,000 meters, Broe led former Stanford stars Ian Dobson, the 2001 USA junior champ, and Ryan Hall around the track at 13:20 pace for nearly the entire race. But with 1,000 meters to go, Broe threw in a 61.7-second lap, followed by 59.9 circuit. He covered his final 400 in 59.1, and he crossed the finish line in 13:12.76. Dobson followed him in 13:15.33, with Hall third in 13:16.03. All three met the world championships "A" qualifying standard with their times.

The women's 10,000 was a four-woman race as Katie McGregor, Jen Rhines, Blake Russell and American record holder Deena Kastor led throughout. With two laps to go, McGregor, Rhines and Russell dropped Kastor, who recently suffered and ankle injury. Russell took over leading duties with a lap to go, and McGregor began making her move with 300 left. McGregor passed Russell off the final turn, winning in 31:33.37. Russell was second in 31:35.24, Rhines third in 31:37.20 and Kastor fourth in 31:45.08.

Field event finals

In the field, Breaux Greer won his sixth U.S. title with a big helping of intestinal fortitude. After knee surgery in the offseason to repair a torn ACL, the American record holder is coming back from shoulder surgery earlier this summer. His weeks of inactivity left him in second place behind John Hetzendorf (78.23m/256-8) after three rounds of throwing. Greer's fourth-round throw sailed 79.19m/259-10 to give him another title and a ticket to Helsinki.

Grace Upshaw won a very close women's long jump. Her best mark of 6.70m/21-11.75 was matched by 2005 NCAA champion Tianna Madison of Tennessee, but Upshaw's second-best mark of 6.60m/21-8 surpassed Madison's 6.58/21-7.25. 2002 U.S. champion Brianna Glenn was third with 6.68m/21-11.0.

James Parker won his third straight title in the men's hammer throw with a best mark of 74.15m/243-3, with 2004 NCAA champion Jake Freeman second (72.60m/238-02) and Olympic Trials runner-up A.G. Kruger third (71.48m/234-06).

Kristin Heaston, a 2004 Olympian and the 2003 U.S. champion, won her second national title in the shot put with a personal-best throw of 18.68m/61-3.5. Michelle Carter of the University of Texas was second with a personal-best 18.26m/59-11, with Elizabeth Wanless third with 18.14/59-6.25.

Stunner in men's 100 heats

The first round of the men's 100 meters provided perhaps the most stunning moment of the Championships when reigning Olympic gold medalist Justin Gatlin apparently false started and disqualified. Lined up for the first heat of the round, Gatlin and the rest of the field all were changed with a false start when runners came out of the blocks without the gun sounding.

Lining up for a second try at a start, Gatlin's reaction time registered as .095 seconds, or .005 faster than the allowable. His lane was flagged and he was escorted from the track. DaBryan Blanton went on to win the race, after a third try at a start, in 10.17. Gatlin quickly filed a protest, however, and after looking at a print-out of the start, the head men's referee determined that the runner in lane 5, adjacent to Gatlin, was not motionless. Gatlin therefore was advanced into the semifinal.

2000 Olympic gold medalist Maurice Greene had better luck in heat 2, winning in 10.12 after Olympic 200m silver medalist Bernard Williams false started. Leonard Scott won heat 3 in 10.20, American junior record holder Walter Dix took the fourth heat in 10.27, and Olympic 200m gold medalist Shawn Crawford looked brilliant in winning heat 5 in 10.10, the fastest time of the day. Former world record holder Tim Montgomery withdrew from the competition earlier in the day.

The women's 100 heats were significantly less dramatic, with Me'Lisa Barber running the fastest time by an American with her win in heat 3 (11.04). Also winning their heats were indoor Visa Champion Angela Daigle (11.40) and Marshevet Hooker (11.32). Two-time world champion Marion Jones withdrew after warming up shortly before race introductions.

Favorites advance in rounds

Favorites ran well in the semifinal rounds of other races. Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner practically walked the last meters of his men's 400m semifinal, yet still posted the fastest time of the round with 44.82. His former Baylor teammate, 2005 world leader Darrold Williamson, won the first heat in 44.83. Other fastest qualifiers from semifinal rounds were Olympic relay gold medalist Sanya Richards in the women's 400m semis (51.09), Olympian Lashinda Demus in the women's 400m hurdles (54.19), two-time Olympian Hazel Clark in the women's 800 (2:02.47), 2004 Olympic Khadevis Robinson in the men's 800 (1:47.53) and American record holder Briana Shook in the women's steeplechase semis (10:07.37). Top performers in first-round action were U.S. leader Me'Lisa Barber in the women's 100 (10.04 U.S. leader, personal-best), two-time Olympian James Carter in the men's 400m hurdles rounds (49.65).

Pate upsets Phillips in LJ, Walker takes PV

Two-time USA indoor champion Miguel Pate announced that he has fully recovered from a blown out knee suffered in 2003 by upsetting reigning Olympic and world championships gold medalist Dwight Phillips. Only the third man in history to jump over 28 feet indoors (8.59m/28-2.25 at 2002 USA indoor championships), Pate popped off a mark of 8.35m/27-4-.75 in the second round of jumping on Thursday, securing his win with the best mark by an American so far this year. The #1 ranked jumper in the world the last two years, Phillips was second with a leap of 8.28m/27-2. Former NCAA All-American Brian Johnson was third with 8.09m/26-6.5.

Yet another upset came in a windy men's pole vault competition, where 2005 U.S. leader Brad Walker, the 2005 USA indoor champion, topped an outstanding field with a clearance of 5.75m/18-10.25. 2000 Olympic gold medalist Nick Hysong was second with 5.65m/18-6.5, and 2004 Olympic silver medalist Toby Stevenson was third at the same height. Reigning Olympic champion Tim Mack tied for seventh with a clearance of 5.40m/17-8.5.

Abdi-Meb show in men's 10 km

As has played out several times on American tracks over the last five years, two-time Olympic teammates Abdi Abdirahman and Meb Keflezighi made a two-man show of the men's 10,000 meter final. The 2001 U.S. champion, Abdirahman made it an honest race from the gun, seizing the lead and stringing out the field within the first 200 meters. Keflezighi, the Olympic marathon silver medalist, 10,000m American record holder and three-time U.S. 10 km champion was on his heels, and the two men set about striding around the track alone.

With Abdirahman leading the way, the duo came through 5,000 meters in 14:03 with no competition in sight. Keflezighi took over the lead with nine laps (3,600 meters) remaining, but Abdi took over once again with 800 left. Most observers likely expected Keflezighi's footspeed to prevail in the final meters, but it was Abdirahman who crossed the line, jubilantly in first, in 28:10.38. Keflezighi was inches back in 28:10.57, with Matt Downing third in 28:34.65.

Drama in the field

The women's discus throw, held concurrently with the men's 10,000m at the end of the evening, featured just as exciting a finish. 2004 NCAA champion Becky Breisch of Nebraska led the competition through three rounds, but in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds she was relegated to fourth by four-time U.S. champion Seilala Sua, 2004 Olympic Trials and two-time Pan Am gold medalist Aretha (Hill) Thurmond, and five-time USA runner-up Suzy Powell.

The 22-year-old Breisch made the final throw of the competition count, uncorking her winning toss of 62.92m/206-5 to vault from fourth to first. Sua ended in second with a best of 61.82m/202-10, while Thurmond was third with 61.77m/202-8.

Flanagan runs away with 5,000

Olympian Shalane Flanagan made a time trial out of the women's 5,000 meters, running well clear of the field for nearly the entire race and winning in a 2005 U.S.-leading time of 15:10.96 for her first national championship. Lauren Fleshman was second in 15:16.80 and two-time Olympian Amy Rudolph was third in 15:18.92.

Three-time Olympian Amy Acuff won the fifth U.S. outdoor title of her career in the women's high jumper, coming back from ankle injuries to win with a clearance of 1.90m/6-2.75. Fellow 2004 Olympian Chaunte Howard and 2004 USA junior champion Sharon Day of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo were second and third, respectively, at the same height.

2003 Pan Am Games gold medalist Kim Kreiner won her third U.S. title in the women's javelin throw with a mark of 58.95m/193-5. Ian Waltz, the 2004 Olympic Trials runner-up, won his first national crown in the men's discus with his throw of 64.54m/211-9.

Favorites advance in rounds

Top performers in their qualifying rounds on Thursday were Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner in the men's 400 (45.29), two-time Olympic silver medalist Terrence Trammell in the men's 110-meter hurdles (13.37), 2003 U.S. champion Sanya Richards in the women's 400 (51.79), Olympic Trials champion Daniel Lincoln in the men's steeplechase (8:35.32), Olympian Lashinda Demus in the women's 400m hurdles (54.68), Sarah Schwald in the women's 1,500m (4:13.25), Rob Myers in the men's 1,500m (3:38.96), and Duane Solomon in the men's 800m (1:48.90).

Olympic silver medalist Bryan Clay led the men's decathlon after the first day of competition (4,322 points), with marks of 10.70 in the 100m (929 points), 7.44m/24-5 in the long jump (920), 14.88m/48-10 in the shot put (782), 2.06m/6-9 in the high jump, and 49.62 (832) in the 400. U.S. indoor heptathlon champ Ryan Harlan was second with 4,193 points.