ATHENS - The 10th IAAF World Cup in Athletics proved itself to be a strong team competition Sunday at Athens' Olympic Stadium, with Team USA's men going head-to-head with Team Europe. Yet a surprise appearance - and win - from Allen Johnson and a stirring relay victory wasn't quite enough to give the Americans their fourth World Cup Team victory.

Trailing the Europeans by just two points with two events remaining, the U.S. finished runner-up in team scoring with 136, behind 140 for Europe. However, the American men tied the meet record for most wins, with eight, matching the feat of the 1985 U.S. team. This weekend, American men won the 100, 200, 400, 110 hurdles, 400hurdles, triple jump, 4x100 relay and 4x400 relay.

On the strength of two victories by Sanya Richards, the Team USA women posted their sixth fourth-place finish in this meet, tallying 101.5 points. Russia won the women's team title with 137, followed by Europe with 128 and the Americas with 117.

A points-based format of team competition, the World Cup pits Team USA against continental squads from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and Oceania. Greece, Russia, Poland's women and France's men also fielded teams. Team points were awarded ranging from nine points for a first-place finish down to one point.

Johnson dominates

Allen Johnson (Columbia, S.C.) possessed both age and wisdom in the men's 110-meter hurdles. The combination of those two factors produced a stunning win over a stellar field in 12.96 seconds, a World Cup record and his best time since tying the then-American record of 12.93 in 1997.

That Johnson was even in the race was a bit of a fluke. After missing the first part of the season, including the AT&T USA Championships, with a left hamstring injury, he had traveled to Athens only to train with his coach Sylvanues Hepburn and training partner Lashinda Demus. But when Ryan Wilson withdrew from the meet due to a groin injury, Johnson was in town and ready to suit up.

The 35-year-old, four-time world champion had spent Saturday watching the meet on TV and noticed that the starter was very quick on the gun in the sprints. "It was a quick gun," Johnson said. "So when I got in the blocks, I told myself, 'be ready.' When the gun went off it seemed like I was the only person out there." And for good reason - Johnson appeared to be the only man to break cleanly. Although world record-holder Liu Xiang (CHN) of Asia gave chase, Johnson won comfortably ahead of Liu's 13.03.

Double winners

After setting an American record in the 400 meters on Saturday, Richards (Austin, Texas) took the women's 200 meters easily on Sunday, using a strong stretch run to post a time of 22.23, well ahead of Europe's Kim Gavaert (BEL) in second (22.72).

Wallace Spearmon (Fayetteville, Ark.) also posted his second win of the meet, taking the men's 200 meters in a meet-record and personal-best time of 19.87 seconds. Running out of lane 9, the 4x100m relay gold medalist caught world junior record holder Usain Bolt (JAM) of the Americas in the final meters of the race. Bolt finished second in 19.96.

Walter Davis (Baton Rouge, La.) also scored a key win in the men's triple jump. His distance of 17.54m/57-6.5 gave him a comfortable win and put nine points in Team USA's coffers.

Relay drama

The most thrilling race of the evening came in the final race of the meet, the men's 4x400m relay. Team USA found itself in the unusual position of third place when Olympic relay gold medalist Darold Williamson (Waco, Texas) took the baton for the anchor leg. After legs by Jamel Ashley (46.4), Derrick Brew (45.0) and World Cup 400m champ LaShawn Merritt (44.5), Brew trailed Africa and the Americas by more than 10 meters.

Despite not having one of his finer seasons in 2006, Brew demonstrated the mettle that makes him one of the world's best relay anchors. The former Baylor standout ran down former World Indoor champion Alleyne Francique (GRN) and nipped him at the tape. His 44.5 leg gave Team USA the win in3:00.11, followed by the Americas (3:00.14) and Africa (3:00.88).

Team USA's women fell just short in the relay. With Richards out due to a sore ankle, the team of Dee Dee Trotter, Monique Henderson, Moushami Robinson and LaShinda Demus, who ran a 49.4 anchor, finished in 3:20.69 to place second to the Americas in 3:19.85.

Points, points, points

Ian Waltz (Chula Vista, Calif.) picked up points for Team USA with a third-place finish in the men's discus with a throw of 62.12m/203-10.

Russ Buller (Chula Vista, Calif.) tied for fourth in the men's pole vault with a clearance of 5.50m/18-0.5. Adam Goucher (Portland, Ore.) was fifth in the 3,000m (7:48.15) won by Craig Mottram (AUS) of Oceania in a meet-record 7:32.19, and Khadevis Robinson led the first 600m of the men's 800 before fading to sixth (1:46.45). Steve Slattery (Boulder, Colo.) was seventh in 8:43.15 in a men's steeplechase race won in meet-record time by Saif Saaeed Shaheen (QAT) of Asia (8:19.09), and Rob Minnitti was seventh in the men's javelin with a throw of 73.40m/240-10.

Ginnie Powell (Los Angeles) overcame a slow start and clipped hurdle to place third in the women's 100-meter hurdles in 12.90. Amy Acuff (Chula Vista, Calif.) tied for third in the women's high jump with a clearance of 1.94m/6-4.25, and Lauren Fleshman (Canyon Country, Calif.) was fifth in the women's 5,000 in 15:17.65.

American record holder Erin Gilreath (Williston, Fla.) was sixth in the women's hammer throw with a toss of 67.29m/221-1; Kamily Skolimowsa of Poland set a meet record with her winning throw of 75.29m/247-0. Rose Richmond (Bloomington, Ind.) also was sixth in the long jump (6.38m/20-11.25). Other American women's finishers include Jillian Camarena (Provo, Utah), sixth in the shot put (18.43m/60-5.75; Lisa Galaviz (Gilbert, Ariz), seventh in the 3,000m steeplechase (9:48.32); and Treniere Clement (Knoxville, Tenn.), eighth in the 1,500 (4:13.55), won by Maryam Yusuf Jamal (BRN) of Asian in a meet-record 4:00.84.

For complete results from the World Cup, visit www.iaaf.org

ATHLETE QUOTES, Team USA

Allen Johnson (men's 110m hurdles): "I was happy with the race. To get a chance to run under 13, it's always something special. I'd like to get the American record or world record one of these days, though. It seems like when these other guys go under 13, they're running 13.90 or faster. ... "It was a quick gun. I was watching the meet on TV yesterday and noticed it was a quick gun. So when I got in the blocks, I told myself, 'be ready.' When the gun went off it seemed like I was the only person out there. ... I know how I've been training. There were a few things I've been working on, and I knew if I got them right, I'd run fast. I'm just trying to show everybody that I'm still here."

Wallace Spearmon (men's 200m): "I'm really pleased with my race. I PR'd again, so I'm satisfied with the win. Running in lane 9 was a new experience. ... They shot the gun kind of quick. I felt Bolt on my inside, so that motivated me."

Darold Williamson (men's 4x400 anchor): "This was a lot like college. We were all tired, and we wanted to put on a good show, and do our best for our country and our team. I'm thinking, 'just run'; run my own race, and then out kick them. That's my old style (running strong the last 150). I had to work for it and do it."

Walter Davis (men's triple jump): "It was pretty stiff competition. Everybody was jumping pretty good, but I came up with what I needed. I took the almost month off to train and get ready for the World Athletics Final and this meet. I wanted to go farther."

Ginnie Powell (women's 100m hurdles): "I just didn't get that good of a start. The gun was very fast. I clipped a hurdle because I tried so hard to get back into the race."

Khadevis Robinson (men's 800m): "I have felt terrible the last two weeks. I just wanted to do my best. You've got to go for it. /there were four 1:44 guys in the field, so I made an honest race of it. I had a long season. At the end when they accelerated, I didn't' have any power."

Ian Waltz (men's discus): "I didn't throw very well. I'm just disappointed because I'm a lot better thrower than that. I threw 65.10 here in Athens at the Super Grand Prix a month and a half ago. It's time to go home and rest up."

Lisa Galaviz (women's steeplechase): "I felt OK out there. I think I finished right where I was ranked. The race was above average for me, and the crowd and everything was awesome."

Amy Acuff (women's high jump): "I jumped 1.94 again. I'm kind of frustrated. I've felt close to that next bar at several meets. My last attempt at 1.97 was really close. I think I've got a few technical problems to work on with my coach next year. I've just been over here jumping so many meets. I think I jumped in all of them except two."

Erin Gilreath (women's hammer throw): "This was way better than I did in the [World Athletics Final] last week, so I'm glad to finish my season better. I would like to have been one place higher. There were definitely four people I thought I'd have to throw really well to beat."

Lauren Fleshman (women's 5,000m): "I didn't know Defar would take it out like that. The race just broke up funny. I was in my own world. It was definitely my most sporadic race of the year, but I'm proud of myself that every time I wanted to can it, I just focused. It was very physically challenging."

Rose Richmond (women's long jump): "I'm disappointed, but it happens. You can't have good days every day. I was jumping from behind the board on three jumps, and on my last one I didn't finish it, as my knee felt a little funny."

Lashinda Demus (women's 4x400 relay anchor): "I felt I did the best I could. It's just that the other team was better tonight. I got fatigued. I think I went out a little too fast. If I would've held off a little longer, I think I could've gotten there."

Jillian Camarena (women's shot put): "I had one mark and three fouls. It's a little frustrating, but you learn from it. I've been having foul troubles since I went to a spin."

Rob Minnitti (men's javelin): "It was good, but obviously I wanted to throw farther. I didn't throw horrible, but I felt there were a couple extra meters I could have thrown. It wasn't good, but it wasn't great."

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