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Not gold, but bronze Jones' quest for five gold medals ends with long jumpPosted: Thursday September 28, 2000 12:00 AM
SYDNEY, Australia (CNNSI.com) -- Marion Jones will not win five gold medals in this Olympic Games. The American track and field star finished third in the long jump, bringing her medal total to two gold and one bronze with two events to go. For the first time in her first Olympics, Jones wasn't looking down at everyone from the top of the medal stand. She was looking up at Heike Drechsler, the 35-year-old German great who ended Jones' quest to be the first track athlete in 76 years, and second ever, to win five golds. She lost with the same grace she shows when she wins. "The only positive thing I can get out of the competition is I can tell my grandchildren in 30 years that I competed against one of the best long jumpers ever," Jones said. "It's as simple as that."
Drechsler, who won the long jump silver in Seoul 12 years ago and the gold in Barcelona eight years ago, won this time with a leap of 6.99 (22 11 1-4). Jones and Fiona May of Italy both jumped 6.92 (22-8 1-4), but May got the silver because she had a better second jump. There were no excuses from Jones, and no regrets. "I'm not a sore loser at all,' she said. "Inside, I'm disappointed, but she did what needed to be done to win the gold, and you can't say anything negative about that." Two years ago, Jones proclaimed she was aiming for five golds at the Sydney Games. Only one track athlete had won that many, the "Flying Finn" Paavo Nurmi in the 1924 Paris Games. Jones blew away the competition in the 100 and 200 meters in Sydney. The long jump, everyone knew, was the weak link in this golden chain. All along, everyone, including Jones, knew that the long jump could be the Achilles' heel. She was capable of hitting a long once in awhile, but she also was prone to fouls. Jones fouled four times in her six jumps Friday night. Her last jump was her best, but half of her foot was past the red foul mark on the board. "Marion's biggest problem is she doesn't attack the board with force," said former Olympic triple jumper Willie Banks. "She uses all speed without technically lifting off the ground." The distraction of her husband, shot putter C.J. Hunter, and his four positive tests for steroids, were not what beat her Friday night. It was that old nemesis - her technique. The flaws were there for everyone to see on a muggy night at Olympic Stadium. Her steps were off, she had no great spring in her leap. That speed was no match for someone with the polished technique and nearly two decades of international experience of Drechsler. Jones was seven years old when Drechler won her first world championship in 1983. Jones remembers watching Drechsler compete against Jones' idol, Jackie-Joyner Kersee. There was nothing but admiration on display. If this loss was devastating, Jones wasn't going to let it disintegrate into hard feelings. "The dream for five is not alive anymore," she said. "I don't regret saying that I was going to go for five. I had a great shot, and it didn't pan out." Already, she was turning attention to her shot at two golds Saturday in the 400- and 1,600-meter relays. "Now I can just get refocused and help my U.S. teammate bring home the gold," Jones said. "I'm happy that we made the finals in both relays. By the Athens Games, Jones will be 28, and that should be her prime. A reporter asked would she try all this again? She laughed a huge, long laugh. "Maybe a little more quietly next time," she said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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