Ron Bellamy reports for the IAAF from Eugene

A Prefontaine Classic meet record crowd of 13,856 saw Michael Johnson tune up for his match race with Donovan Bailey by effortlessly winning the 200 meters in the IAAF Grand Prix meet at Eugene, Oregon, on Sunday, May 25.
Johnson, who holds the world record in the 200 at 19.32, and was the Olympic gold medallist at 200m and 400m in Atlanta last year, was clocked in 20.17, and declared himself fit for his 150m race against Bailey, Olympic gold medallist and world record-holder at 100m, in Toronto on June 1.
"I needed to run a race to get tuned up," Johnson said. "It wasn't like I needed to come in here and run any particular time or any particular kind of race. I just needed to get a race in." In the only Grand Prix meet in the United States this year, four athletes turned in world-leading performances. Maria Mutola of Mozambique, who lives and trains in Eugene, won the women's 800 in 1:57.57. Laban Rotich of Kenya won the men's mile in 3:52.68, while Bob Kennedy (USA) won the men's 3,000 in 7:39.22 and Mark Crear (USA) won the men's 110 hurdles in 13.18.
Mutola, Olympic bronze medallist last year, defeated Jearl Miles (USA), who ran 1:57.98, a personal record and the fastest time by an American this year.
Rotich took the lead in the mile with 200m remaining, kicking past countrymen Elijah Maru and William Tanui. Eleven runners in the field broke 4 minutes.
Kennedy, America's best distance runner, ran alone in setting a meet record, defeating runner-up Tom Nohilly by eight seconds. Kennedy downplayed his effort, saying he needed to run that fast to prepare for tougher races in Europe during the summer. Crear, the Olympic silver medallist, decisively defeated Olympic gold medallist Allen Johnson (USA), who ran 13.42 and who later finished fourth in the 200 in 20.51.
The meet was scheduled to be one of the last U.S. competitions for Carl Lewis, who is retiring after the season and who was scheduled to run 100m. However, Lewis said his right Achilles tendon was too sore. Other winners of note include five-time U.S. champion Mark Everett, who won the 800m in 1:44.99, fastest time by an American this year and his fastest performance since 1994; Sonia O'Sullivan of Ireland, who won the women's 1,500m in 4:06.35, a meet record; and Gail Devers (USA) who won the women's 100m in 11:24.
The women's 3,000 turned out to be a duel between the former American record-holder at 5,000m, Annette Peters, and the current holder of the AR at 5,000m, Amy Rudolph. Rudolph outkicked Peters, who lives in Eugene, to win in 8:59.95, fastest time by an American this year.
Other winners: Tonja Buford Bailey (USA), women's 400 hurdles, 55.13; Kareem Streete-Thompson (USA), men's 100, 10.12; Connie Price-Smith (USA), women's shot put, 19.19m; John Godina (USA), men's discus, 64.48m;
Mark Richardson (Great Britain), men's 400, 45.30; Inger Miller (USA) women's 200, 22.73; James Beckford (JAM), men's long jump, 8.24m; and Dean Starkey, USA, men's pole vault, 5.80m.
The Prefontaine Classic, which drew a standing-room only crowd, was a sell-out for the third straight year. The meet, and the enthusiastic fans, are considered special in the United States; the meet also was run in an unusual time period, from 10 a.m. to noon, to accommodate a live national telecast by CBS.
"This by far is the best meet in the United States," Everett said. "The fans have to be the best in the world. This is awesome. They know the athletes, they know times, they know good performances. "You can't help but run well here."