Home>News Center>Sports
             
     

    Jones in long-jump final; Johnson falters
    (Agencies)
    Updated: 2004-08-26 09:33

    Marion Jones made a quiet debut, drawing a smattering of applause while advancing to the long jump final. Allen Johnson attracted the eyes of the entire Olympic Stadium, for all the wrong reasons.

    Jones leaped 21 feet, 11 3/4 inches Wednesday, the seventh-best qualifying jump, then skipped her final attempt. She had already left the stadium when 18-year-old Allyson Felix won a silver medal in the 200 meters — one of the events Jones won four years ago in her historic Sydney performance.

    For Jones, Athens is about more than medals.

    "It's a little bit about a gold, but I think to me it's a lot more about coming out here, doing my best in the midst of a hell of a year," said Jones, who is the subject of a steroid investigation, has been accused by her ex-husband of using banned drugs in Sydney and gave birth to a son 14 months ago.

    "I mean, you can take that how you want it — being able to do your best in the midst of mass chaos."

    There was chaos on the track when Johnson, a four-time world champion and the 1996 Olympic gold medalist, made a shocking exit from the second round of the 110-meter hurdles. He tripped over the ninth hurdle, then stumbled and fell underneath the last one — ending up face down on the track, glasses flying off his face, as competitors crossed the finish line.

    Johnson said it was only the second time in his career he's fallen in a race.

    "It was going great, and then I don't know. I just went down. I thought I was in control until I hit that hurdle. I got myself together, but the last one I hit and went down," Johnson said. "I'm fairly disappointed, but it happens. I'll be watching the final. There's nothing I can do."

    He was the latest of several Americans who came to Athens favored for medals but will leave empty-handed — including pole vaulter Stacy Dragila, hurdler Gail Devers, decathlete Tom Pappas and shot putter John Godina.

    In the 200, Jamaica's Veronica Campbell held off Felix on the final stretch. Campbell, a student at the University of Arkansas, won in 22.05 — the fastest time in the world this year. Felix finished in 22.18 and Debbie Ferguson of the Bahamas took bronze in 22.30.

    Felix was happy with her finish. "I have a lot of confidence and I'm very excited about the future," she said.

    Four years ago, Jones' quest for five golds ended in the long jump. This time, she made her Athens debut in the event, with little of the celebrity worship that engulfed her in Sydney.

    On her first attempt, Jones licked her lips, then paused for the start of a men's race. She took two quick deep breaths, sped down the runway — and fouled by several inches. She immediately went over to the stands to talk with coach Dan Pfaff.

    Jones opened her mouth wide and rolled her tongue around her mouth before her second jump, then took four quick breaths. She propelled herself down the runway and leaped 1 3/4 inches past the automatic qualifying distance of 21-10, advancing to Friday's final.

    At the 2000 Sydney Games, Jones already had won gold medals in the 100 and 200 meters when she got a bronze in the long jump. She went on to win two more medals in relays — one gold, one bronze.

    But at the US trials this summer, she failed to qualify in the 100 and dropped out of the 200, citing fatigue. So her only events here will be the long jump and the 400-meter relay, which begins Thursday.

    Those are not the only differences from the last Olympics.

    Jones was the darling of Sydney, her every move chronicled as she aimed for five golds. Even her defense of then-husband C.J. Hunter on drug charges won her praise as a supportive spouse.

    Now she's under investigation by the US Anti-Doping Agency, and has been accused by the now-divorced Hunter of using banned drugs before, during and after the Sydney Games.

    "I'm looking forward to jumping on Friday and, you know what, getting on the next plane Saturday and heading home to my little boy, who I've been away from for over three weeks," Jones said. "So things are a lot different than four years ago."

    The biggest thrill of the night for Greek fans came when countrywoman Fani Halkia won the 400-meter hurdles in 52.82 seconds, sending the sold-out Olympic Stadium into spasms of joy and flag waving. Romania's Ionela Tirlea-Manolache won silver and Tetiana Tereshchuk-Antipova of Ukraine took bronze.

    Australian Jana Pittman, the world champion, finished fifth two weeks after undergoing knee surgery. Sheena Johnson was fourth and her US teammate, Brenda Taylor, was seventh.

    Near the start of the long jump runway, awaiting her second attempt, Jones sat impassively as Halkia pranced by on her victory lap.

    In other events Wednesday, Hicham El Guerrouj qualified easily for the final of the 5,000 one night after his dramatic and emotional victory in the 1,500. Winning that preliminary heat was 10,000 champion Kenenisa Bekele, setting up a Saturday night duel in the final between two men trying to complete a rare Olympic distance double.

    Only four men have won the 5,000 and 10,000 at one Olympics, as Bekele is attempting. And a 1,500-5,000 sweep would be even more unusual — El Guerrouj would be only the second man to accomplish that. Paavo Nurmi did it in 1924.



     
      Today's Top News     Top Sports News
     

    World oil price spike hits Chinese market

     

       
     

    Coastal provinces braces for typhoon strike

     

       
     

    China reassures air passengers

     

       
     

    Liu Xiang in good form, Johnson crashes out

     

       
     

    Heavy rains raise water level in Yellow River

     

       
     

    Singapore PM praised for one-China stance

     

       
      Liu Xiang in good form, Johnson crashes out
       
      Meng, Yang book final berth in men's C2 1,000m
       
      Russian Olga Slyusareva wins cycling women's points race title
       
      Xing Lin disqualified halfway in women's triathlon
       
      France's Merret wins Olympic women's mistral gold
       
      China book first semi-final berth in women's volleyball
       
     
      Go to Another Section  
     
     
      Story Tools  
       
    Advertisement
             
    免费人妻无码不卡中文字幕系| 亚洲日韩在线中文字幕第一页| 人妻精品久久久久中文字幕| 无码av最新无码av专区| 久久久噜噜噜久久中文福利| 久久久久亚洲精品无码蜜桃| 最近中文字幕完整免费视频ww| 五十路熟妇高熟无码视频 | 国产a v无码专区亚洲av| 麻豆AV无码精品一区二区| 国色天香中文字幕在线视频| 国产精品无码一区二区三级 | 亚洲精品无码av人在线观看| 精品久久久久久无码中文字幕一区| 波多野结衣AV无码| 亚洲av无码不卡| 直接看的成人无码视频网站| 色欲狠狠躁天天躁无码中文字幕| 国产成人无码a区在线视频| 色欲A∨无码蜜臀AV免费播| 国产成人麻豆亚洲综合无码精品| 中文字幕在线观看| 亚洲精品无码永久中文字幕| 久久中文精品无码中文字幕| 国产精品无码DVD在线观看| 免费无码又爽又刺激高潮视频| 亚洲精品无码久久久久sm| 中文字幕精品一区| 国产中文在线亚洲精品官网| 人妻丰满av无码中文字幕| 亚洲AV无码一区二区三区在线观看 | 久久久久亚洲AV无码永不| 亚洲av无码国产精品色午夜字幕| 久久人妻无码中文字幕| 无码av免费毛片一区二区| 中文字幕无码久久人妻| 无码区日韩特区永久免费系列 | 中文字幕精品视频在线| 婷婷四虎东京热无码群交双飞视频 | 亚洲欧美中文字幕| 最近2019年免费中文字幕高清|