VALLEY TEEN'S WORLD TRACK RECORD RUNS INTO RED TAPE RACE SPONSOR DIDN'T PROVIDE REQUIRED TESTING.

Byline: Matthew Kredell Staff Writer

Allyson Felix's time of 22.11 seconds in the 200 meters - publicized internationally as a world junior record for the past two months - likely will not stand because she did not take a drug test within an hour of the race's completion.

The 17-year-old Felix, who graduated last month from Los Angeles Baptist High School of North Hills, said she confirmed the news with Sandro Giovanelli, competitions director for the International Association of Athletics Federations, at a meet in Paris over the Fourth of July weekend.

She said Giovanelli told her the IAAF, track's worldwide governing body, ratifies a world record only if an athlete is tested for drugs within an hour of setting it.

``It does bother me a little bit, but not too much,'' a surprised Felix said. ``I still ran the same time. It's unfortunate that I've been drug-tested so many times and, for whatever reason, it didn't happen at this meet.''

Felix set the record at the Mexico City Grand Prix on May 3. There was no arrangement for drug testing at the event, according to Felix, and neither she nor her coach knew a test was required for the record to stand.

She first broke the national junior record - previously held by Thousand Oaks High's Marion Jones - at the Mt. SAC Invitational two weeks prior toher run at Mexico City. The time of 22.51 beat Jones' mark of 22.58, before Felix raised the bar even higher with the 22.11.

``No one expected Allyson to run that time,'' said her coach, Jonathan Patton. ``If the protocol is not set up to receive that type of record, it is understandable, yet frustrating. I don't know who is ultimately responsible, but they say it was up to her to get tested, which is unfortunate because we didn't know that.''

Felix was reported as the world junior record holder in such publications as Sports Illustrated and The Washington Post.

The time likely will remain a national junior record.

``The U.S. doesn't require drug testing, so I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be accepted as an American record,'' USA track and field representative Jill Geer said.

The IAAF has not made a final decision on the matter. Felix said Giovanelli told her the organization would further investigate the matter. The record is listed on the IAAF Web site with an asterisk indicating that it is awaiting ratification.

If the mark is rejected, the record will remain with Russia's Natalya Bochina, who ran a 22.19 in 1980.

Felix has plenty of time to set the record again. She will be considered a junior through next year's run at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Anyone under the age of 20 throughout the calendar year of competition is considered a junior.

``We're a little confused, but that's the way it goes, and I'm confident that she will run a better time before she is 20,'' Patton said.

Felix was in Paris to get acclimated to the site of next month's world championships. She finished third in the U.S. track and field championships two weeks ago to become the first prep athlete since 1980 to represent the nation at the world championships or Olympics.

Regardless of whether Felix's 22.11 stands as a world junior record, it makes her the 10th-fastest U.S. woman ever in the 200 meters. It also is the fastest 200-meters time run by a woman in the world this year.

On the prep level, Felix won three consecutive state titles in the 100 meters and two in a row in the 200 meters to finish off her high school career with back-to-back Daily News Track Athlete of the Year honors.

Felix hadn't received any information from the IAAF that the record might be in question before a French reporter posed the question to her in Paris.

``It caught me off guard a little bit,'' Felix said. ``Then I did some checking and found out it probably won't count.''

Felix won't let the possible loss of status as a world record holder deter her from her goals to perform well in the world championships and make the 2004 Olympics.

``I wanted to pout about it for a little while, but she's tough,'' Patton said. ``She just kind of shrugged it off. Everyone knows she ran the time.''

If anything, the news might impel her to run it again sooner.

``Most definitely,'' Felix said, ``it will be a motivator.''

Matthew Kredell, [phone]

matthew.kredell(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) While her coach fumes on her behalf, sprinter Allyson Felix just goes ahead with training at College of the Canyons after learning that her time of 22.11 seconds for 200 meters at the Mexico City Grand Prix probably will not be recognized as a world record because there was no drug testing at the meet.

(2 -- color) Los Angeles Baptist High School graduate Allyson Felix holds her trophy attesting to her unofficial world junior record time of 22.11 seconds in the 200 meters. Official or not, ``I still ran the same time,'' she said.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer