U.S. TRACK NOTES

SACRAMENTO – Michael Johnson came, saw, conquered and annoyed.

In a 400 final that had all the suspense of a one-on-one hoop game between Shaquille O’Neal and Pee Wee Herman, Johnson cruised to victory yesterday by nearly a second, the equivalent of about a 10-run triumph in baseball. And Johnson said he did not even use overdrive.

Yet, it was not his vanquished competitors at the 400 who are aggravated with Johnson. It is a stable of runners from the training group HSI, mainly sprinters Maurice Greene and Inger Miller. The group was particularly peeved about Johnson’s broadshots in a USA Today guest column Friday. Greene and Miller fired back Saturday.

Yesterday, Johnson essentially called them infants for not being able to take the criticism and took a swipe at HSI co-founder Emanuel Hudson’s presence at his post-race press conference.

“I’m going to analyze and commentate on what I think and if it gets under their skin, so be it,” Johnson said. “If those that didn’t like what I wrote were motivated by what I wrote, they need to say thanks.”

All of this merely increases the intensity and prestige for what is expected to be the highlight of the U.S. Olympic Trials, a 200 final next Sunday between Greene and Johnson.

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There had not been a need for a jump-off to break a tie at the U.S. Trials since 1936. And then yesterday, two were forced within minutes of each other in the men’s pole vault and the women’s high jump.

In the pole vault, Lawrence Johnson won and Nick Hysong finished second. But Chad Harting, Derek Miles and Pat Manson tied for third at 18-5 1/2. Harting cleared the bar in the jump-off and then earned his berth as he watched Miles, then Manson fail.

In the high jump, Karol Damon won and Erin Aldrich finished second.