NEWCASTLE ENGLAND: England’s world mile record holder Steve Cram took his first successful step on the comeback trail and then revealed he almost quit athletics this year because of his injury nightmare.

Cram running his first track race for more than nine months at a low-key meeting here tested himself over 1500 meters and came through to win by some 50 meters from a band of club runner’s in3 min 42sec.

After revealing he is ready to launch a belated challenge for a world championship

1500 m place at next weekend’s trials in Birmingham the 30-yr-old Cram admitted: It’s great to be racing again This year has been the closest I’ve ever come to just packing it in.

Cram had been sidelined by tendonitis in his knee all summer

Now fully recovered and back in training for nearly a month Cram pickled the humblest of surroundings in New Castles east end to make his return

Turning out for narrow he got New Zealand club mate Wayne Edgeler to pace him and then went alone with two laps to go and completed the final lap in 58 sec.

You can’t expect to go to a league match and do much more than this. I just wanted to get my body used to running at that pace again and it went pretty well said Cram. Just like this injury-hit 1990 season when Cram made his comeback at the same meeting in the same stadium he now looks to Birmingham and admitted we have been through it all before. If it doesn’t go too well next week.

Referring which chances of landing another crack at the world metric mile title next month following his victory in 1983 Cram insisted I’m very optimistic of getting there I’m feeling a lot better than I did before last year’s trials.

 LEWIS SANDRA WIN:; Carl Lewis clocked 1002 seconds in 100 meters and Sandra Farmer-Patrick posted a 53.77 in women’s 400-metre hurdles to highlight events at the New York Games.

Lewis competing five weeks after Leroy Burrell erased his world record in the same: city accelerated well at 50 metres and won easily ahead of Santa Monica teammates Mike Marsh (10.17) and Mark Witherspoon (10.21).

Today I felt like me again and even a little better. This is the type of race I need to run in Tokyo (at the World Championships) If I run the way I did last month and today I’ll run in the 9805 Lewis said.

Burrell who ran a world-record 9.90 to Lewis 9.92 at the US championships did not compete in this meet because of a Strained left hamstring.

On a 36-degree (Celsius) day when most atheists did not run for time Farmer-Patrick turned in the meets most impressive performance. Her400-metre hurdles time gives her the three fastest in the world this season. Kim Batten who defeated Farmer-Patrick at the US championships led until the eighth hurdle when Farmer-Patrick passed the tiring leader and coasted to victory

Steve Lewis and Andre Phillips two American Olympic gold medalists returning from injury-plagued seasons placed well. Lewis was third in the 400 metres in 45.17 Andrew Valmon (45.04) édged Ian Mornis (45.05); for the victory.

Phillips who dethroned Edwin Moses at the Seoul Olympics ran a 49.95 to finish behind winner Danny Harris (49.45) and Nat Page (49.82).

Maria Mutola of Mozambique won an exciting women’s 800 metres in 2: edging American Meredith Rainey 2:00.51. Mary Decker-Slaney running her _ first competitive 800 since 1985 led until 600 meters but faded to fifth Tony Dees who failed to qualify for the US world championship team ran a 13.18 to defeat Greg Foster.

Article extracted from this publication >> August 9, 1991