Aouita Is a Wee Bit Slow : He Comes Close to 5,000 Record in Virginia Meet

FAIRFAX, Va. —  If Morocco’s Said Aouita spoke better English, or if the track announcer had spoken French, there might have been an indoor world record Sunday in the 5,000 meters at the Mobil One Invitational.

But Aouita, running for only the second time in the United States after winning the 3,000 meters Friday night at the Millrose Games, couldn’t understand the times as they were called out over the public-address system during the race and failed to break the record by a little more than 2 seconds.

A standing-room-only crowd of 4,200 at the George Mason University Fieldhouse, including several animated fans waving Moroccan flags, had no such difficulty. Informed after each lap of Aouita’s time relative to the world-record pace, the crowd stood and cheered for much of the 25-lap race on the 200-meter track.

Aouita said that he was inspired. But the thing that he really needed was a Berlitz course.

The 1984 Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion at 5,000 meters ran the distance indoors for the first time in 13:22.56, the sixth-fastest ever. That was almost 20 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor, Doug Padilla, who finished in 13:42.01. But it was behind the world record of 13:20.40, set in 1981 by Tanzania’s Suleiman Nyambui.

“I believed I was running fast, but I didn’t hear the pace,” said Aouita, who speaks passing English in news conferences but usually has his French interpreter handy. “I thought I could break the world record. I am ready.”

Also ready to break a world record was Jackie Joyner-Kersee, who had tied one less than 48 hours earlier in the 55-meter hurdles at the Millrose Games. In the 60-meter hurdles Sunday, her trouble wasn’t a language barrier. Just a barrier.

In the locker room that had been converted to a press room, Joyner-Kersee did her post-race interview under a sign that said, “You Get Credit For What You Finish, Not What You Start.”

That seemed appropriate. After getting a fast start, which she hasn’t been doing in recent meets, she then mis-stepped at the finish, hitting the fifth and final hurdle. She had to settle for an American record of 7.81, better than the previous record of 7.88 that she set at this meet last year but not as good as the world record of 7.74 held by Bulgaria’s Yordanka Donkova.

Bob Kersee, Joyner-Kersee’s husband/coach, said that she would have threatened the world record if she hadn’t hit the last hurdle.

“I got very impatient in the last part of the race,” she said. “I was leaning even before I got to the last hurdle. At the Millrose Games, I didn’t get out well. Here, I didn’t finish well. Maybe someday I’ll put it all together.”

Kersee said that his wife could do that sooner than later if she had stronger competition. Kim McKenzie finished second Sunday in 8.11.

Hurdler Roger Kingdom might appreciate less competition. After winning his second Olympic gold medal last year in the 110-meter hurdles, Kingdom was expected to dominate the indoor season. But he has won only once in six starts.

Olympian Arthur Blake, formerly of Florida State, beat him for the third time Sunday, winning the 60-meter hurdles in 7.54. Kingdom was second in 7.57.

Two other 1988 Olympic gold medalists had better results. Louise Ritter won the high jump at 6-5 1/2, missing in three attempts at an American record of 6-7, and Romania’s Paula Ivan, the 1,500 meter champion at Seoul, won the 800 meters in 2:02.14.

Gwen Torrence, formerly of the University of Georgia, won her 45th straight indoor race, running 60 meters in 7.21. Evelyn Ashford was third in 7.37.

Ireland’s Marcus O’Sullivan, the 1987 indoor world champion at 1,500 meters, won the mile in 3:58.06.

O’Sullivan, who won his third Millrose mile Friday night, will test Aouita at that distance Friday night at East Rutherford, N.J., in the Meadowlands Invitational.

Or at least some people think it will be a test for Aouita.

“When O’Sullivan runs by himself, that’s one story,” Aouita said. “When he runs with Aouita, that’s another story.”

No one ran with Aouita Sunday. He had to come from behind on the last lap to beat Padilla in the 3,000 Friday night. But when Aouita made his move about halfway into this race, no one went with him.

“I don’t think I got enough sleep Friday night,” Padilla said.