Joyner-Kersee Victory Unimpressive
For Jackie Joyner-Kersee, it was not pretty. It was, however, another win.
Joyner-Kersee, battling a series of injuries, asthma, allergies, rain, wind and cold, won her sixth national heptathlon title Thursday night in the USA-Mobil Championships at weather-plagued Hughes Stadium.
The 33-year-old Joyner-Kersee finished the seven-event, two-day competition with 6,375 points, her lowest total since finishing second in the 1984 Olympics with 6,363. Still, it was her 19th consecutive victory in a heptathlon she has completed since then.
This one, she almost didn’t finish.
After Wednesday’s first four events, she nearly fainted. During Thursday’s final event, the 800 meters, she ran with a purple and black cloth allergy mask that helped her breathe. It didn’t help her run fast, though, as she struggled to eighth in the nine-woman heat.
This was Joyner-Kersee’s first heptathlon of the year and it showed her lack of conditioning. Her time of 24.36 seconds in the 200 meters was her slowest ever. Her first-day total of 3,836 points was her worst since the Los Angeles Games. Her javelin throw of 136 feet, 11 inches was her worst since 1987, and her 2:26.39 for the 800 was her slowest since 1987.
“I’m not disappointed, but embarrassed,” Joyner-Kersee said. “I’m a much better athlete than that. I know I can score better than 6,300. I asked my body to do something that it wasn’t ready to do.
“I’m not washed up. I just need to put it together.”
Michael Johnson, seeking the first 200-400 double in the championships since 1899, moved smartly into today’s 400 final.
Johnson, bucking the rain and strong winds, won his semifinal heat in 45.16.
Also advancing to the final were world indoor champion Darnell Hall, second to Johnson at 45.23; world record-holder Butch Reynolds, third in that heat at 46.26; 1991 world champion Antonio Pettigrew, fourth at 45.92, and Derek Mills, the 1995 world leader, winner of the other semifinal at 45.95.
Quincy Watts, the 1992 Olympic gold medalist, failed to make it, finishing seventh in Mills’ heat, at 47.34.
A determined Carl Lewis won his opening heat in the 100 meters in 10.23, then was second to Jon Drummond in the semifinals in 10.12. Lewis is seeking his sixth national 100 title.
The most impressive 100 winner was 1992 Olympic 200 champion Mike Marsh. Running into a headwind, he clocked 10.14 in the prelims, then ran a wind-aided 10.02 in the semifinals.
World record-holder Leroy Burrell won his prelim in 10.30 and was second in the semifinals in 10.09.
The biggest casualty of the 100 heats and semifinals was 1993 national champion and ‘93 World Championship silver medalist Andre Cason.
Coeur d’Alene High’s Corissa Ya sen, a collegian at Purdue, was scheduled to compete in high jump qualifying, but it was postponed because of the rain.