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August 27, 2004 5:29 pm

U.S. men set blazing pace in 4x100 relay

By ELLIOTT DENMAN

Gannett News Service

ATHENS, Greece - Coby Miller's wait is over.

After watching his teammates cover themselves in Olympic glory and build medal collections the past week, Miller got the chance to display his sprinting talent on the Olympic Stadium track Friday night and proved that he's a winner, too.

With Shawn Crawford and Darvis Patton running the first two legs on the U.S. men's 4x100-meter relay team, Miller took over and delivered a solid third 100 and handed off to Maurice Greene, who brought it home convincingly in a 38.02-second American triumph.

Runner-up Great Britain (38.53) wasn't close. Nigeria (38.27), Poland (38.47) and Australia (38.49) led the other section.

``I've been waiting for this so long,'' said Miller, a 27-year-old graduate of Louisville, Miss., High School, and a past NCAA champion for Auburn.

``I've been training and getting ready,'' Miller said. ``I knew my day would be here. I've always wanted to run in the Olympic Games, and now it has.''

The 4x100 is an event the U.S. has dominated in Olympic competition, taking 15 golds in 18 appearances. Only a baton-passing snafu - witness the U.S. women's team's troubles Friday night - figures to interfere with another American triumph.

Miller had run a 9.9 100 meters at the Olympic Trials, but that was .06 slower than Shawn Crawford for the third and final U.S. spot in the Olympic 100.

It's still unclear whether he'll run in Saturday night's final. Justin Gatlin, the newly crowned Olympic 100-meter champion, figures to be moved into the lineup with Crawford and Greene, leaving one place to be filled by U.S. coach George Williams and his staff. Any runners who are replaced would still qualify for medals if the team is successful.

``Whatever they decide, that's fine with me,'' said Miller.

``It's an honor just being here.''

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