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Jet, Sept 13, 1999

A host of talented Black athletes conquered the seventh World Track and Field Championships in Seville, Spain, leading the U.S. to victory with gold medals in 11 events--10 of which were earned by Black track-and-field phenoms the likes of Michael Johnson, Marion Jones, Inger Miller, Maurice Greene, Gail Devers, C.J. Hunter and Anthony Washington.

The only White American to win a gold medal was Stacy Dragila, who won the pole vault.

Johnson led the pack, smashing the 400-meter world record mark in 43.18 seconds--0.11 seconds faster than the previous record mark of 43.29, set Aug. 17, 1988, by Butch Reynolds of the United States--and capturing a career nine gold medals at World Championships, the most by any athlete and one more than veteran Carl Lewis.

Johnson also ran the final leg of the men's 4x400-meter relay in 43.50 seconds, which led to the team's success with an overall time of 2:56.45, the year's fastest time and the seventh-best ever.

Greene put his golden touch on the championships as well, capturing gold medals in both the men's 100- and 200-meter dash and anchoring the 4x100-meter relay with a sensational time of 9.12 seconds, which carried the U.S. team to victory at 37.59--the fastest time in the world this year and the fifth-best ever.

Wins by Marion Jones in the women's 100 meters, whose victory was later overshadowed by back spasms that forced her to withdraw from the remaining events, Inger Miller in the women's 200, Anthony Washington in the men's discus, C.J. Hunter, who is Jones' husband, in the men's shot put, and Gail Devers in the 100-meter hurdles all helped the United States dominate the championships, taking home a total of 17 gold, silver and bronze medals--the most of all the countries in attendance.