Wariner, Webb lose; Campbell wins 100

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CARSON, Calif. -- Former Arkansas sprinters Wallace Spearmon and Veronica Campbell ran the fastest times in the world this year in the men's 200 meters and the women's 100 at the Adidas Track Classic on Sunday.

Spearmon defeated Jeremy Wariner in the 200. Wariner, the Olympic and world 400 champion, is stepping down to race more 200s this year with a goal of trying both distances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He ran a personal best of 20.19 seconds in his fourth 200 of the season, but couldn't catch Spearmon, who finished in 20.06.

"Everything fell into place," said Spearmon, the world silver medalist last year. "I was hoping to run a little bit faster, but I didn't know if the wind would be allowable."

It was, despite overcast, cool and windy conditions in front of 3,629 at Home Depot Center.

Wariner only tried the 200 a couple times last year, and ran it a few times his first two years at Baylor after competing in high school.

"I feel like I can get down to 20-flat, maybe 19, this year. I feel real comfortable and real smooth," he said. "I knew Wallace would push me to a fast time and I'd push him, so I'm real impressed with the way I ran."

Campbell's time of 10.99 also was legal. She defeated Lisa Barber, who finished in 11.06. Torri Edwards, the 2003 world champion, was third.

"I'm quite satisfied," said Campbell, the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist. "I wanted to get a quicker start. The thing was to be patient and execute no matter what start I got."

Barber was running the 100 outdoors for the first time this season after a successful indoor campaign, including the world 60-meter title.

"I was trying to work on my mechanics so I wouldn't hurt my hamstring," she said.

Marcus Brunson won the men's 100 from lane nine against a strong field in a personal-best 10.01. Tyson Gay -- another former Razorback -- was second in 10.04 and Marc Burns of Trinidad third.

"This is a great warmup for nationals," said Brunson, who was second to Olympic champion and co-world record holder Justin Gatlin two weeks ago in Osaka, Japan. "To do it on TV always feels good."

Brunson's time is the second fastest by an American this season, trailing only Gatlin's world record-tying 9.77 set earlier this month.

The wind derailed world champion Michelle Perry's winning time of 12.61 in the 100 hurdles. The wind was rated at 2.3, just over the allowable limit or else her time would have been the fastest in the world this year.

"It's OK, I'll get a race that's less wind and then I'll put it together," Perry said. "I'm really focused on the last five hurdles. I'm a little bit faster at the end, so I have to learn how to maintain it."

Jenny Adams was second and Perdita Felicien of Canada, the 2003 world champion, was third. Anjanette Kirkland, the 2001 world champion, finished fourth. Lolo Jones took a hard fall near finish line and wound up last.

Rachid Ramzi of Bahrain defeated American Bernard Lagat to win the 1,500. Ramzi's time of 3 minutes, 32.34 seconds was the fastest ever run on American soil -- bettering Sebastian Coe's gold-medal effort at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

"I wanted to be here to perform in America," the Moroccan-born Ramzi said through a translator. "I knew my training was good, but I didn't know where my training would be in a race situation."

Alan Webb skipped the 1,500, his specialty, to try the 2-mile with poor results. He finished sixth in 8:33.92; winner Markos Geneti of Ethiopia finished in 8:19.61.

"Terrible," Webb said. "I've run 20 seconds faster than that. I wasn't ready for that pace. It shocked my system."

Without Wariner in the 400, Andrew Rock defeated a pair of Jamaicans to win in 44.83. Jermaine Gonzalez was second and Michael Blackwood third.

"I was happy with my time, considering the wind," said Rock, last year's world silver medalist.

Otis Harris was fourth, Tyree Washington fifth and 2005 NCAA champion Darold Washington was sixth.

In other women's results, Blake Russell won the 3,000 in 8:51.57, the fastest time by an American this year; Jenn Stuczynski won the pole vault; Dee Dee Trotter won the 400; Sarah Jamieson of Australia won the 1,500; and Sanya Richards won the 200.

Khadevis Robinson took the men's 800 and Derrick Williams won the men's 400 hurdles.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index

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