Winning 400 easy as 1-2-3 for US

ATHENS -- In a bold statement that the new order in American track is much like the old, 20-year-old Jeremy Wariner of Baylor University ran down Otis Harris in the stretch last night to lead an authoritative US sweep of the Olympic men's 400-meter race.

The trio of Wariner, Harris, and Derrick Brew gave the United States its first 1-2-3 finish in the men's 400 since the 1988 Games at Seoul.

Wariner, a rapidly improving talent who had hoped merely to qualify for the US Olympic Trials this year, trailed Harris on the final curve, only to accelerate past his teammate on the final straightaway and capture the gold medal in 44.0 seconds. That time is the fastest in the world this year and the eighth-fastest in history.

Harris finished in 44.16, followed by Brew in 44.42.

The return of American dominance to an event that long had been a US strength reinforced the sense that a new class of track and field athletes is emerging. "A lot of the kids are running now, and we're all running fast," Wariner said.

Even Michael Johnson, the greatest 400-meter runner in history and a Baylor alum, was impressed.

"I'm proud of all of them," Johnson, the world-record holder, said after the race. "In my eyes, they restored dignity to the 400."

Wariner, a protege of renowned Baylor coach Clyde Hart, said he's just getting warmed up. "I've got a lot more in front of me," he said.

Last night, with 80 meters to go, Wariner had Harris in front of him. Hart had advised Wariner to save something for the finish, and the waiting game paid off. Once he passed Harris, Wariner said, he knew victory lay ahead "if I kept my form the rest of the way."

Wariner raised his arms as he crossed the line, index fingers thrust skyward, while Harris threw his head back in disappointment.

"When I came around the turn, I thought I was by myself," Harris said. "But Jeremy came up and won a gold medal." If the race had been 320 meters, Harris said with a smile, "I would have won."

The team's collective accomplishment quickly seemed to supersede any individual disappointment, as the three runners ran a victory lap together. Waving an American flag, the trio took their time, waving to the crowd and sharing the moment with friends and relatives in the stands.

"It hasn't sunk in yet." Wariner said. "It's going to hit me in a few days."

After the sweep, there was no preening for these runners, who said later they were determined to treat the race, the Games, and the other competitors with respect.

"The most important thing, other than going out there and winning, is to respect our country," Harris said. "That was a big thing to me and my teammates."

The trio, starting beside each other in Lanes 3, 4, and 5, prayed before the race. "We talked about the sweep the last two to three days," Brew said. And when they executed the 400-meter lap the way they envisioned, the results exactly mimicked the order they had run at the trials.

Except, this time, Wariner, Harris, and Brew were not running only against Americans. This time, the rest of the world had sent its best to crash the party in a grueling, painful race that tests a sprinter's endurance as well as his speed.

With an on-track maturity well beyond his years, Wariner appeared oblivious to the expectations that have been percolating about his potential during his sensational year. He had never been to Europe before the Olympics, and he did not take up running until five years ago.

But once he touched the track as a high schooler, Wariner instantly became something special. In his first race, Wariner ran 50 seconds; in the second, 48.5. Clearly, something was afoot.

Now he is being compared to Johnson, the four-time gold medalist who hung up his spikes after the 2000 Games in Sydney. Like Johnson, Wariner bears some of the hallmarks of a Hart-coached running style: the reduced knee lift for the 400, the extra strides.

"Just being in the same sentence with him has been great," Wariner said of Johnson. Another sentence that is being uttered about Wariner with greater frequency regards his skin color. Wariner, who is white, said he's lost count of the number of times he has been asked about his success in an event overwhelmingly dominated by black men. "I've never seen a white man run that fast," said Grenada's Alleyne Francique, who finished fourth. "It was a blazing race, man. The kid is good."Johnson even joked last night that Wariner might become a "lab rat" whom scientists can analyze. Wariner, however, sighed slightly last night at yet another question about race. Wariner, the first white American man to win a sprint medal since Mike Larabee's 400 gold in 1964, replied that he has no time for stereotyping, not with the potential for a Michael Johnson-type career.

"I've stayed focused all the time and not let anything get in my way," Wariner said.

Last night, there was nothing in his way except a run to glory, and another indication that the fortunes of US track and field are on the cusp of something exciting.

Johnson said Wariner shouldn't be hassled with constant questions about comparisons to him, about their Baylor connections, or about the coaching they have shared.

"I don't see me in him," Johnson said. "I see Jeremy as his own person."

Johnson, whose world record of 43.18 has stood for five years, tried hard to erect a special pedestal for Wariner on this special night. But the shadow of one of track's all-time great runners is hard to escape, even for the latest gold medal winner.

After Wariner crossed the finish, the supreme test completed, one of the first things he told his teammates was that he had broken the Baylor school record.