Foster Wins Race Without Controversy : Nobody Angry at Anybody After He Beats Nehemiah, Campbell

Greg Foster just wants to take care of himself, avoiding controversy. Renaldo Nehemiah is just ecstatic that he’s physically fit again. Tonie Campbell is just happy to be running.

There wasn’t exactly an aura of good fellowship among the hurdlers Friday night in the Sunkist Invitational at the Sports Arena. But they weren’t needling, or snapping at each other as they have in the past.

In fact, the 55-meter hurdle race that brought them all together was predictable and without controversy.

Greg Foster, the world’s No. 1-ranked high hurdler, took charge at the second hurdle and won in the time of 7 seconds flat. Nehemiah was second in 7.11, with Campbell third in 7.13.

Foster didn’t threaten the world indoor best time of 6.89 established by Nehemiah in 1979.

Last year in the Sunkist meet, Foster set a world record of 7.36 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles, even though the hurdlers seemed to get a rolling start.

“I was ready to run, how fast I didn’t know,” Foster said. “I’m proud of myself for not pressing. It was a nice, clean race.”

Not all of the races have been so clean, though. Foster and Campbell squared off after a 110-meter race Sept. 15 in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Nehemiah reportedly acted as a peacemaker.

“Things happen and things get said, then something comes out,” Foster said. “I think it (the incident) was overplayed. It’s over and done with.”

Then Foster, who is admittedly a loner, added, “I’m concerned with Greg Foster and that’s it.”

Nehemiah, who is making his second comeback in track after playing for four years (1982-85) with the San Francisco 49ers, had a positive attitude about his performance.

“Frankly, I’m quite pleased compared to last year’s race, when I had an awful start--and I stayed in my lane,” Nehemiah said, “but my start is still rusty.

“You hear the gun, then there’s a reaction, and then there’s me. I was never last out of the blocks before I went into pro football. However, since I’ve come back I have been passive out of the blocks.

“But Greg didn’t run away from us like he did last year.”

Nehemiah, the world record-holder in the 110-meter hurdles at 12.93 seconds, said that indoor races are primarily for fine-tuning of techniques.

Nehemiah added that he hasn’t lost his leg speed, but his instincts aren’t as sharp a they once were.

“I took a beating in pro football that no one else (other hurdlers) had to endure,and there are certain things I have to relearn,” he said, “but I’m happy to prove I’m still a competitor.”

Nehemiah said the indoor season is merely preparation for the outdoor season.

“No one will remember who won the Sunkist hurdles at the Olympic trials next July,” he said, “and if I lose every indoor race it won’t matter if I make the Olympic team. When that time comes, we’ll care who finishes one-two-three.”

Nehemiah acknowledged that Foster is the world’s best hurdler now and that Campbell is No. 2, but, as competitive as the hurdlers are, that may not be a permanent situation.

Campbell, who won the Grand Prix title last year while Foster was the world champion, said he is just tickled pink to be competing.

“I had a tendinitis injury in my left knee which I acquired the third week in October,” Campbell said. “I have only been training for two weeks.”

Campbell said he got a good start but that Foster caught him between the second and third hurdles.

“I hit the second hurdle, drew blood and it straightened me up,” he said. “I had not hit a hurdle like that since high school.”

Like Foster, he wanted to put aside any past differences. He said that he and Foster had already agreed to a truce at a private meeting.

“Greg Foster is number one and I’m number two,” Campbell said, “and if I’m number two in July, I’ll be on the Olympic team.

“If there’s any chance of a U.S. sweep by our hurdlers, this is the year.”

Other highlights of the Sunkist meet, which attracted a crowd of 12,003:

--In the absence of Steve Scott, who has the flu, New Zealand’s John Walker won the mile in 3:59.99. So, by one-hundredth of second, the veteran Walker, 36, had recorded his 121st sub four-minute mile.

“I lost four spikes out of my right shoe,” Walker said, “so I actually finished the race on one leg.”

--Mike Tully, who usually points for the outdoor season, won the pole vault at 18 feet 6 1/2 inches and came close to clearing 19-0 on one of his three attempts.

“This is the first time since 1978 that I’ve actually prepared for an indoor meet,” Tully said. “I haven’t any thought of retiring, even after the 1988 Olympics. I plan to go on competing until 1992, when I’ll be 36.”

--Canada’s Lynn Williams, bronze medalist in the 3,000 meters at the 1984 Olympic Games, out-kicked the field to win the women’s mile in 4:36.18.

--Doug Nordquist won the high jump at 7 feet 6 1/2 inches and then had three misses at 7-7 3/4.

--Diane Dixon equaled the meet record of 53.41 seconds in winning the women’s 440.

--In the absence of Innocent Egbunike, who had the flu, Antonio McKay won the men’s 500 in 56.43, with Roddie Haley second in 56.45.