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August 22, 2004 7:07 pm

Bell, Davis fail to qualify in triple jump

By MIKE PRATER

Gannett News Service

ATHENS, Greece — Louisiana triple jumpers Kenta Bell and Walter Davis had disappointing performances for different reasons at the Summer Olympics on Sunday night.

Neither qualified for the second half of the final round inside Olympic Stadium, where Swede Christian Olsson set a national record with a leap of 58 feet, 4 1/4 inches to win the gold medal.

Bell, from Louisiana-Monroe, had a top jump of 55-5 1/2 to finish ninth. Davis, from LSU and Beau Chene High School in Leonville, turned in a 55-0 3/4 to finish 11th.

The top eight after three jumps got a second round of three jumps, but Bell and Davis never got that far. The eighth qualifier was Yoelbi Quesada of Cuba with a 55-7 3/4.

Bell hit his top mark on his first attempt, scratched on his second, and never recovered.

"I’m very, very disappointed. I definitely expected more and I definitely trained for more, but today I couldn’t get it done,’’ he said. "I was more aggressive and focused than in qualifying. … Everything started off great, it just didn’t happen. I didn’t perform well. Today was just one of those days where it didn’t go.’’

"I know it sounds kind of weird, and people aren’t going to believe it, but this makes it an unsuccessful season. … I can’t say the Olympics freaked me out because that didn’t happen. I just didn’t go, I just didn’t go.’’

Davis also hit his top mark on his first attempt. He registered marks on his next two attempts, but couldn’t improve.

"I just couldn’t get my approach down. My technique wasn’t sound at all,’’ said Davis, a three-time NCAA champion. "When you have trouble with your technique on the runway, that’s what you end up jumping.

"I guess I got too excited. I wasn’t really settling down and going through my routine.’’

Davis returns to Olympic Stadium on Tuesday to compete in long jump qualifying.

"This is disappointing, but I can’t dwell on it. I just got to put this behind me and get ready for the long jump,’’ he said.

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