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August 20, 2004 8:05 pm

Lott-Hogan gets second chance in heptathlon

By Elliott Denman

Gannett News Service

ATHENS, Greece - Breakfast with Tiffany at Olympic Stadium was first-rate.

It was the dinner hour that proved less palatable.

Springville, Utah, resident Tiffany Lott-Hogan started her first Olympic Games with a strong 13.13-second performance in the 100-meter hurdles, the 9 a.m. opener of the women's Olympic heptathlon event.

It gave her 1,105 points and what seemed a solid head start to her schedule of seven events spread over two days.

She followed with a 5-5 1/4 high jump to complete her morning duties, then returned to the stadium for a late afternoon 47-4 1/4 shot put.

With the sun now setting, her real adventures began.

U.S. fans were stunned to see her heat of the 200-meter dash go off with Lott-Hogan stranded in the starting blocks.

A ``DNF'' (did not finish) went up on the giant scoreboard and all her Olympic hopes seemed over.

``I was almost ready to cry,'' she said.

``I thought it was over for me. I thought my Olympic appearance was going to be cut short.

``I was never actually prepared for the starter to say `set.' I never had my hands down on the track.

``An official next to me saw that and raised his hand, but the starter never saw that, so they started the race without me.

``I was down on my knees, wondering `what in heck is going on here?' `'

Lott-Hogan was in a much better frame of mind, though, half an hour later.

All because a kindhearted official stepped forward to plead her case - based on the starter's error - and got her a lane in the final section of the 200.

Now, taking advantage of that opportunity but running out of the tough lane one, she led the race for 190 meters and wound up a close second to the fast-finishing Austra Skujte of Lithuania with a 24.99-second performance.

Add it all up and she had 3,634 points, good for 16th place in the 34-woman field.

``At that stage (her second chance to run the 200), I wasn't mentally prepared to run it,'' said the Tucson, Ariz.-born, Pine View (Utah) High School and Brigham Young University graduate.

``But at least I got points.''

Michelle Perry and Shelia Burrell, her American teammates, ranked seventh and 12th, respectively.

Just as expected - 21-year-old Carolina Kluft of Sweden, the finest women's all-around track and field athlete since Jackie Joyner-Kersee - has a lopsided overall lead.

Kluft, champion at the 2003 World Championships in Paris, reeled off marks of 13.21 in the hurdles, 6-3 1/4 in the high jump, 6-3 1/4 in the high jump, and 23.27 in the 200, for a score of 4,109 points, 240 ahead of second-place Kelly Sotherton of Great Britain.

Completing the ``hep'' Saturday will be the long jump, javelin throw and 800-meter run.

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