World Games : Puica Surges Past Budd to Win 5,000-Meter Race

HELSINKI, Finland —  Maricica Puica of Romania ran the fastest women’s 5,000 meters of the year, and American Henry Marsh recorded the season’s best in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, highlighting the World Games track and field meet Thursday.

Puica, the Olympic 3,000-meter champion, eased past Zola Budd with less than a lap left and went on to win the women’s 5,000 at Olympic Stadium in 15 minutes 06.04 seconds, a Romanian record.

Puica’s clocking was better than the year’s previous fastest time, 15:06.53, by Mary Decker Slaney.

It was only the second 5,000 meters that Puica has ever run.

Marsh, returning to the stadium where he suffered perhaps the most bitter setback of his career, was timed in 8:16.62, lowering his own previous fastest time this year by nearly two seconds.

Two years ago, Marsh tumbled while trying to clear the last barrier and lost a chance at the gold medal in the world championships.

Budd came into Thursday’s race after clocking the best time of the year in the 3,000 Saturday in England.

But the native South African, who was granted British citizenship before the 1984 Games, was sixth in 15:13.07 after tiring on the final backstretch.

“She was just simply tired,” said Pieter Labuschagne, Budd’s coach.

American Doug Padilla, the Grand Prix leader in the men’s 5,000, won in 13:15.44.

Willie Banks, who last month set a world record of 58 feet 11 1/2 inches in the triple jump, won his specialty at 57-2 3/4. World champion Zdzislaw Hoffman of Poland finished a distant third at 54-10.

In the women’s 800 meters, Romania’s Doina Melinte beat world champion Jarmila Kratochvilova of Czechoslovakia for the second time this week, this time by .13 of a second with a time of 1:59.40.