King leads, Swingley a scratch

One former champion is out, another is in the lead.

Four-time Iditarod champion Doug Swingley pulled out of the 2004 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Wednesday. Swingley, from Lincoln, Mont., scratched in Takotna after suffering a major eye injury on the trail. The veteran musher told Iditarod officials he had possibly frozen his corneas. Teams had been facing temperatures that dipped as far as 30 degrees below zero, and winds up to 40 miles per hour. Swingley told officials he had blurred vision, and nearly no vision in one eye.

As of press time Thursday morning, Jeff King stood at the lead of the Last Great Race. King, a three-time champion, left Cripple, the halfway point, at 5:40 a.m., well ahead of second-place Martin Buser.

Mitch Seavey and John Baker stand at third and fourth as of Thursday morning, and Big Lake's Ramey Smyth rounded out the top five.

Five mushers have scratched and 82 still remain in the 2004 field. The first mushers are expected to arrive in Nome early next week.