Aug. 27, 2003

Tonique Williams, a former USC standout, placed fifth in the women’s 400m at the IAAF World Championships in Paris. Williams, running for the Bahamas, clocked a time of 50.38 for the fifth-place finish. She entered the meet ranked No. 8 in the world. Williams was a two-time All-American at USC and was the 1998 SEC 400m Champion.

In men’s competition, Adrian Durant, a current USC track athlete, placed fifth in his heat of the 200m. Durant, who completed his freshman season in 2003, ran a time of 21.11, just off his personal best of 20.89, but was unable to advance to the event quarterfinals.

Wednesday’s competition features the first preliminary round of the men’s 110m hurdles, which will have a strong USC presence. Allen Johnson, a current Carolina volunteer assistant coach, is a three-time world champion and going for a record fourth world title in Paris. His longtime nemesis, Anier Garcia of Cuba, is not competing, solidifying Johnson’s status as favorite. USC alumnus Terrence Trammell is the 2000 Olympic silver medalist and was a close second to Johnson at the USA Outdoor Championships. He was a 13-time All-American and won five NCAA titles as a Gamecock.

The IAAF World Championships resume Thursday in Paris and continue through Sunday, August 31. ESPN2 will provide television coverage from 2:30-4:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.