INDIANAPOLIS, JUNE 15: Kim Batten, promising her women's 400-meter hurdles world record would fall this year, pulled away from Tonja Buford-Bailey down the stretch and ran the eighth fastest time ever, 52.97 seconds, at the US Athletics Championships yesterday.

``That world record is definitely going to go down, whether it's me or somebody else,'' said Batten, who set the record of 52.61 at the 1995 World Championships. ``I think low 52s or possibly 51 is possible.''

Fellow Olympian Jearl Miles-Clark added the year's leading women's 400-meter time of 49.40 seconds as the United States continued to select its World Championship team.

Familiar faces Butch Reynolds and Johnny Gray will not be competing in Athens.

World record holder Reynolds ran out of steam in the 400m and finished sixth in 44.98 seconds. Gray, the US 800m record holder, placed fifth in his final in 1:45.37.

Only the top three finishers in each final qualified for the US team for the World Championship.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.