U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials Begin

S A C R A M E N TO, Calif., July 15 -- — A few yards beyond the finish line,Marion Jones and Jackie Joyner-Kersee hugged, track’s shiningfuture embracing its storied past on opening night of the U.S.Olympic Track and Field Trials on Friday.

“She is my hero,” Jones said, “my idol.”

Jones, flashing the smile that has made her the sport’s risingsuperstar, breezed to victory in the 100-meter preliminaries, thenqualified for Sunday’s finals in the long jump.

Joyner-Kersee: ‘I Was Rusty’

Nothing was easy, though, for Joyner-Kersee on Friday. At age 38, she isattempting to make a fifth Olympic appearance. She managed anunspectacular effort (21-foot and three-fourths of an inch) that qualified her eighth in a field of 12 for Sunday’s long jump finals.

Joyner-Kersee has won six Olympic medals, more than any otherwoman in track and field. Three of them were gold. She holds theAmerican record in the long jump and the world record in theheptathlon.

Her best jump, in her third and final try, was more than 3½ feetshort of her American mark.

“I was rusty,” she said with her trademark laugh. “Couldn’t you tell?”

Still, she agreed with her husband and coach, Bob Kersee, thatshe could jump 1½ feet farther on Sunday, and that should be enoughto make the Olympic team.

“The good thing about today is the more I jumped, the better Ifelt,” she said.

The long jump is the weakest link in Jones’ goal of five Olympicgold medals in Sydney, and she was only fifth among the qualifiers.

“It wasn’t fun,” Jones said. “It was all business. I got to the next round. That’s what it’s all about.”

Greene, Johnson Sizzled

The other big stars shone as expected. Maurice Greene sizzled toa 9.93-second 100 meters in the preliminaries and Michael Johnsoneased to victory in the 400 at 45.16 seconds.

“I think a lot of people thought I came here not ready torun,” Greene said. “I’m here to show that I am. Just because I lost a couple of races — that’s practice. Now it’s showtime.”