Montgomery fails to qualify in 100

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Tim Montgomery, the world's fastest man, failed to qualify for the Athens Games in the 100 meters Sunday night, saving the U.S. Olympic Committee from having to kick him off the team if he is found guilty of using steroids.

Montgomery finished seventh in a final won by reigning Olympic champion Maurice Greene in 9.91 seconds. Justin Gatlin was second in 9.92 and Shawn Crawford took the third Olympic spot in 9.93. Montgomery's time was 10.13.

With Montgomery out of the Olympics, the USOC avoids the possible embarrassment of having to remove him from the U.S. squad before the games if an international panel of arbitrators finds he used performance-enhancing drugs.

The world record holder in the 100 has been charged by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

After finishing far behind Greene, Montgomery stared at the giant scoreboard in what appeared to be disbelief. He kept looking at the scoreboard even as he walked off the track.

"This is the reason I didn't win: I've got y'all on my back," Montgomery said as he walked past a pack of reporters near the finish line. "I have to deal with y'all every day."

Montgomery is one of four sprinters charged by USADA with steroid use. Another member of that group, Chryste Gaines, failed to qualify in the women's 100. Alvin Harrison, another of those four, made it through the first round of the 400 Sunday.

Montgomery's girlfriend, three-time Olympic champion Marion Jones, failed to qualify Saturday in the 100 but still will try to make the U.S. team for Athens in the 200 and the long jump. She is under investigation by USADA, but has not been charged.

Greene, a three-time world champion, has been back in top form this season after two years of injury and poor results. He also lost his world record to Montgomery during those two years but could get it back if Montgomery is found guilty of doping.

Swimming

Brendan Hansen set another world record at the U.S. swim trials in Long Beach, Calif., stealing some attention away from Michael Phelps.

Hansen won the 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2 minutes, 9.04 seconds, beating the record of 2:09.42 set by Japan's Kosuke Kitajima at last year's world championships.

On Thursday, Hansen broke Kitajima's record in the 100 breaststroke.

"When I got in this pool for the first time, I definitely thought something special might happen here," Hansen said.

It did. The 22-year-old native of Havertown, Pa., became the first American since John Hencken in 1974 to hold the world record at both distances.

In other races, Jason Lezak won the 100 freestyle and gained the upper hand over rival Gary Hall Jr., who finished third. Hall still earned a trip to Athens on the relays, joining Gary Hall Sr. as the first father-son duo to make three Olympics apiece.

Phelps had his busiest day yet with four races. He faces another daunting day with four races Monday, including finals in the 200 backstroke and 200 IM.

-- From wire reports