Phillips, Collins make up for Dragila bust
Stephen Wilson, Associated Press, Birmingham, England
Stacy Dragila bombed out. Two less celebrated Americans - Dwight Phillips and Michelle Collins - broke out.
On a day when world-record holder Dragila failed to clear a qualifying height in the women's pole vault, Phillips and Collins made big breakthroughs Saturday at the World Indoor Championships.
Phillips uncorked a career-best jump on his last leap to overtake gold medal favorite Yago Lamela of Spain and win the men's long jump for his first major championship title.
"People haven't really given me much attention," Phillips said. "I just wanted to make my mark here. Now the world knows me."
Collins clocked the third-fastest time ever to take gold in the women's 200 meters, overcoming a tight hamstring that flared up in the final straight.
"I started feeling it toward the end of the race," she said. "I thought, 'Oh God, just let me finish the race.' "
Meanwhile, 36-year-old Gail Devers and 39-year-old Regina Jacobs won their qualifying rounds and will go in as favorites in Sunday's finals in the 60-meter hurdles and 1,500 meters.
The biggest surprise of the championships came when Dragila, the reigning Olympic and world outdoor champion, no-heightened and failed to make the final.
After passing on two heights, she missed on all three attempts at 4.30 meters (14 feet, 1 1/4 inches) -- well short of her world mark of 4.78 (15-8 1-4).
Dragila never even got high enough off the ground to try to launch herself over the bar. On her last attempt, she hung onto the upright pole before dropping down to the mat in disgust.
"It was a bad day," Dragila said, shaking her head and rushing past reporters.
Dragila's elimination derailed her anticipated showdown with Russian rival Svetlana Feofanova, which had been considered a highlight of the three-day meet at the National Indoor Arena.
Feofanova, whose world record Dragila had broken at the U.S. indoor championships in Boston on March 2, jumped right after Dragila and sailed over the bar at 4.35 meters (14 feet, 3 1/4) on her first attempt. She will be the clear favorite in Sunday's final.
As dramatic as Dragila's failure was Phillips' triumph in the long jump.
Phillips led from the second round with a leap of 8.23 meters (27 feet), but appeared to have lost the gold when Yamela soared 8.28 meters (27 feet, 2 inches) on his last jump.
With the last jump of the competition, Phillips hit his takeoff perfectly and went 8.29 meters (27 feet, 2 1/2) to grab the title by 0.01 (less than 1/2 inch).
When he saw the result on the scoreboard, he sprinted across the infield in celebration and charged down the track, waving to the crowd.
"On the final jump, I was thinking I have to win," Phillips said. "I've been practicing too hard to come out here and lose. I have been in an Olympic final, world championship final, and this was the starting point for me."
Miguel Pate, who won the U.S. indoor title ahead of Phillips, finished third with a jump of 8.21 meters (26 feet, 11 1/4).
Until now, Phillips had been overshadowed in American long jumping by Pate and Savante Stringfellow.
"I was ranked No. 3 in the world behind two other Americans," he said. "And this year, people didn't pick me to win a medal. I used that as motivation. It takes championships to get respect. Now I have a championship, and I'm sure I'll get respect."
Collins, known mainly as a 400-meter runner, won new respect as a 200-meter star.
Running in lane six, she got off to a fast start and pulled away from French rival Michel Hurtis. Only sprint greats Merlene Ottey and Irina Privalova have ever run faster.