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Marvelous Marion Jones warms hearts at games
Updated: Wednesday September 05, 2001 10:15 AM
BRISBANE, Australia -- She's cuddled a snake with the Crocodile Hunter and rubbed shoulders with Queenslanders at the gymnastics. But after a week of frivolity, Marion Jones finally got down to business at the Goodwill Games. For the third straight race since August's World Championships, Jones avenged her upset 100 meters loss to Ukrainian Zhanna Pintusevich-Block in Edmonton. And the result was never in doubt. After the race was delayed by three unnerving false starts, Jones took control at the halfway point to win in 10.84 seconds, a Goodwill Games record. Pintusevich-Block was a distant second in 11.01. The 25-year-old American seemed genuinely relieved to finish her season in winning style on a mild, spring evening in the Queensland capital. And after the race, her thoughts immediately turned to kicking back and relaxing after a hectic year. "I am going back to my hotel where I have a banana split waiting for me," Jones said. "That will be my reward." The Brisbane public has quickly warmed to the cheerful former basketball player who gives much-needed clout to the Goodwill Games athletics' program after the withdrawal of fellow sprint ace Maurice Greene . Greene was a spectator at ANZ Stadium where Jones and Pintusevich-Block ran side-by-side on Day 7 of these Games. The Ukrainian made her trademark good start, but by the 50-meter point, the lanky Jones was clearly in front and pulling away. Even so, Pintusevich-Block was happy with a Goodwill Games silver medal after two fourth-place finishes in her last Golden League meetings. "I'm really, really happy," she said. "It's end of the season. I'm tired. The world champs took it out of me." Just like the American public, Australian sports fans have been impressed with Jones' grace and good sportsmanship since losing her first 100-meter race in four years to Pintusevich-Block. Many Aussies find the trash-talking of some of the participants of professional U.S. sports hard to comprehend, but they do embrace open-hearted superstars like Jones. Jones was obviously bitterly disappointed after her Canada defeat, yet gave sincere credit to her long-time European rival. It was a tribute to the North Carolina native that she kept smiling in the face of a rare personal failure. It's very easy to like Marion Jones. The triple Olympic gold medalist deserves all the banana splits she can possibly eat before returning to the track in 2002. Australian-born Jason Dasey is a co-anchor for World Sport, a 30-minute sports highlights and news program, shown on CNN International and CNN/Sports Illustrated.
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