Jamaica's Merlene Ottey missed out on an automatic 100 metres berth for the Sydney Olympics, but might yet make her farewell run in the event in place of compatriot Beverly McDonald.
Ottey's fourth-place showing in trials ensured her a trip to Australia as part of the Jamaican 4x100 metres relay. But Adrian Wallace, president of the Jamaican Athletic Association, said she might replace 100 metres runner-up McDonald in the event.
"Traditionally, McDonald runs only the 200," Wallace said. "She hasn't said anything yet, but there is the possibility she might only run the 200 at the Olympics. She finished in the top three in the 100 at the trials last year and she only ran the 200 at the World Championships."
Second Chance Men: Michael Johnson and Maurice Greene were both named yesterday in the US relay squads for the Olympics.
Johnson, the US trials' 400 metre winner, was chosen for the 4x400 metre relay and 100 metre winner Greene was picked for the 4x100 metre relay with the expectation that they will recover from hamstring injuries suffered in Sunday's 200-metre final.
Joining Greene in the sprint relay camp will be trials' 200-metre champion John Capel and the first six finishers behind Greene in the trials' 100 metres: Curtis Johnson, Jon Drummond, Brian Lewis, Kenny Brokenburr, Tim Montgomery and Bernard Williams.
For the 4x400 metre relay squad, Johnson will be joined by trials' 400 metre hurdles winner Angelo Taylor, who has relay experience, and the top six finishers behind Johnson in the 400 meters: Alvin Harrison, Antonio Pettigrew, Jerome Young, Calvin Harrison, Danny McCray and Ja'Warren Hooker.
Kenya Marathon Squad: Car thieves have shot and wounded a member of Kenya's Olympic marathon team, a day after he was selected for the Sydney Games. Veteran road racer Osoro Ondoro was driving home on Sunday evening with his wife and four-year-old son after attending the national Olympic trials in the capital Nairobi when he was attacked and his car stolen. Hospital officials said Ondoro was in a stable condition with a neck wound.
Cuba Boxing Trials: Cuba's top 24 boxers, including twice Olympic champion Felix Savon, will begin a tournament in an eastern province today to decide the dozen places available on the island's final team for Sydney.
The annual Giraldo Cordova Cardin competition, which will also include boxers from 10 other countries, runs in Las Tunas province until July 30th, and is the last big test for Cuba's highly-rated amateur boxers before the Olympics.
Swimming World Record: Dutch star Inge de Bruijn broke the 100 metres butterfly world record and clocked the second-fastest time ever in the 100 metres freestyle at the US long-course championships in Washington at the weekend.
On Saturday, de Bruijn set the 100m butterfly world record of 56.64 seconds, lowering her old mark of 56.69. Then on Sunday, she won the 100m freestyle in 54.01, matching the second-best swim ever clocked by a woman in the event.
