Torrence Easily Wins Title in 200 Meters

Gwen Torrence ran the fastest time in the world this year in the women’s 200 meters at the Pan Africa-USA dual meet at Duke University’s Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C.

Torrence’s time of 21.85 seconds broke the stadium record of 22.28 set by 1984 Olympic gold medalist Valerie Brisco in 1987 and the meet record of 23.06 set by Alice Annum of Ghana in 1975.

Torrence was in front quickly and was never threatened, defeating runner-up Dannette Young by six meters.

Maria Mutola of Mozambique, the 1993 world champion in the women’s 800 meters, also broke stadium and meet records in extending her two-year winning streak to 26.

Leading throughout, Mutola was timed in 1:58.15 in beating five-time U.S. champion Joetta Clark by three meters. The previous stadium record was 1:59.11 by Suzy Favor in 1990 and the old meet record was 2:01.60 by Madeline Manning-Jackson in 1975.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the overwhelming favorite in the women’s 100 hurdles, struggled to win in 13.12, barely ahead of Nicole Ramalalanirina of Africa (13.14) and Olympic silver medalist LaVonna Martin-Floreal (13.15).

Meet records were set by Frankie Fredericks of Namibia in the men’s 200 (:20.23) and Maicel Malone in the women’s 400 (50.71). In the long jump, Mike Powell--bothered by sore hamstrings and a tender left heel--won with a leap of 26 feet 3 3/4 inches.

It was announced that Gail Devers, the 1992 Olympic gold medalist in the 100 meters and American record holder in the 100-meter hurdles, will sit out the remainder of the track and field season because of a left hamstring injury.

“It didn’t get well until a couple of weeks ago just after her last training bouts,” said Devers’ coach, Bob Kersee. “She is not up to par where I wanted her, so I just decided to back her off for the rest of the season and have her concentrate on getting totally healthy and being prepared for 1995.”

*

Sally Gunnell of Great Britain beat runner-up Silvia Rieger of Germany by more than eight meters to win the women’s 400-meter hurdles final at the European Championships in Helsinki, Finland, in 53.33 seconds.

Boxing

Frank Liles of Syracuse, N.Y., outpointed champion Frank Little of Philadelphia to win the World Boxing Assn. super middleweight crown in Tucuman, Argentina.

Also on the card, Jorge Castro of Argentina won a split decision over Reggie Johnson of Cincinnati to win the vacant WBA middleweight crown.

Former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe returns to the ring tonight in Atlantic City, N.J., on HBO against Buster Mathis Jr. in Bowe’s first bout since he lost the title to Evander Holyfield last November.

Auto Racing

Al Unser Jr. broke the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course track record to take the provisional pole for Sunday’s Miller Genuine Draft 200 Indy-car race at Lexington, Ohio.

Unser, the leader in the season points standings, had a fast lap of 119.517 m.p.h. around the 2.25-mile circuit. That bettered the mark of 118.372 m.p.h. set last year by Britain’s Nigel Mansell.

Michael Schumacher won the provisional pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix at Mogyorod, Hungary, in his Benetton Ford in 1 minute 19.479 seconds.

Miscellany

A man police identified as Oliver J. Miller, the father of Phoenix Sun basketball player Oliver Miller, walked into a Ft. Worth, Tex., television station and confessed to killing a community activist, then surrendered.

Dodger pitcher Tom Candiotti has a possibly bruised lung wall and sore back muscle as the result of being hit in the chest by a ball July 27 in San Francisco, the club said. . . . Quarterback Eric Gray, a junior college standout who once fit prominently in Kentucky’s future, has left the Wildcat football team for personal reasons, Coach Bill Curry said. . . . Marcelo Filippini of Uruguay defeated top-seeded Alberto Berasategui of Spain, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, in the quarterfinals of the San Marino tournament. . . . The 46th annual 62-mile ski race from Long Beach to Catalina and back will be held Sunday.