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August 24, 2004 1:37 pm

Ross, Johnson, Trammell advance in hurdles

By ELLIOTT DENMAN

Gannett News Service

ATHENS, Greece - Team Carolina, alias the USA 110-meter high hurdles contingent, passed its first-round Olympic test Tuesday at Olympic Stadium.

But not exactly with flying colors.

It was a semi-struggle for Duane Ross, Allen Johnson and Terrence Trammell, but all three moved into the Wednesday night quarterfinals and kept in the hunt for eventual podium positions.

In a 48-man, six-section event that saw Ladji Doucoure lead all qualifiers in the French national-record time of 13.18 seconds, Ross settled for a 13.39, Johnson a 13.45 and Trammell a 13.51.

None was a winner. Ross ran second in his heat, Johnson third and Trammell fifth, advancing only on a time basis.

Ross, 32, the Clemson alumnus who now lives in Garner, N.C., chased Anier Garcia of Cuba, the 2000 Olympic champion over the wire.

``No problem. I felt good, it was just good to get this first one done,'' said Ross.

``My last race was in Zurich, Switzerland, Aug. 9. Now's the time to get out of the vacation mode and get the kinks out, exactly.''

Johnson, 33, the 1996 Atlanta Olympic champion, is hoping to regain the crown he relinquished to Garcia at Sydney in 2000, but barely made the U.S. team with a third place in last month's trials in Sacramento, Calif.

``I felt good, I'm happy I advanced, everybody is running fast here,'' said the University of North Carolina alum, who lives in Irmo, S.C.

Trammell, 25, a University of South Carolina product and the Olympic Trials winner in 13.09, was nowhere near that form.

``I just felt sluggish,'' he said. ``There's really no excuse.''

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