Sweden wins gold in heptathlon

ATHENS — Former BYU heptathletes Tiffany Lott-Hogan and Marsha Mark-Baird placed 20th and 25th, respectively, in the 2004 Athens Olympics after their seven-event, two-day competition finished late Saturday night in Olympic Stadium. Neither challenged the gold medalist, Carolina Kluft of Sweden, but that was true of the entire field as Kluft won with 6,952 points, the highest score in an Olympics since Jackie Joyner-Kersee dominated the sport at the 1988 and 1992 Games.

Joyner-Kersee's world and Olympic record of 7,291 points set in Seoul in 1988 was never in jeopardy, but Kluft was able to coast in the final event, the 800-meter run, with her closest pursuer almost 500 points behind.

Austra Skufyte of Lithuana was second at 6,435 points, with Kelly Sotherton of Great Britain (6,424) a surprise bronze medalist after a high jump 8-plus inches above her previous best.

Sheila Burrell, 32, of the United States finished fourth at 6,296 points. Lott-Hogan, 29, scored 6,066 points, well off the 6,159 she scored in June at the U.S. trials to finish second to Burrell. Mark-Baird, 30, competing for her native Trinidad & Tobago, scored 5,962 points, a new personal high.

"My goal was 6,000," Mark-Baird said. "But if it's just one point better than I ever did, I'll take it." Her new score, as was her old, is a national record for Trinidad.

Mark-Baird had strong performances in two of the three events contested Saturday. She was 10th in the field of 34 entrants in the long jump at 6.22 meters and second overall in the javelin, with a career-best of 49.90 meters. That moved her up to 22nd in the standings, but she was knocked back again in the 800 with a 2:21 clocking that was only 24th of the 28 women who finished.

Mark-Baird was 22nd four years ago in Sydney, but with a lower score.

After a traumatic experience in the 200-meter run that finished Friday's competition — she wasn't set when her heat started and had to petition the officials to be placed in a later heat — Lott-Hogan never got untracked Saturday. While she came close to a personal best in the long jump, going 6.15 meters, she faltered in the javelin, usually one of her strongest events. Her best throw was 45.84 meters, while her personal best is 50.33. In the 800, always her worst event, she finished in 2:25 and skidded from 12th place to her final placement of 20th.

"I was ready to go home long before the 800 started," said Lott Hogan.

"The tank was empty. Mentally, I was having a hard time getting going. The long days, the 200 problem . . . there were a lot of things that made it difficult."

"I got to the javelin," she said, "and I was trying too hard."

Mark-Baird unofficially announced her retirement from competitive track & field. "I'm ready to have some kids and stay home," said the BYU graduate who has been competing since she was 15 and is a counselor in the Provo School District. After spending time with her parents and family in Trinidad for four days, she plans to be back at work after Labor Day.

As for Lott-Hogan, she plans to compete for at least another year, maybe more. "I'm definitely going to work on indoor hurdles. I'm at the world level in that," she said.

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