Jones Wins 200m Qualifying Heat
S Y D N E Y, Australia, Sept. 27, 2000 -- It was a night of another Olympicdisappointment for Gail Devers, a night of triumph for alittle-known U.S. male hurdler and an easy night of work for MarionJones.
And all around the track, there seemed to be the taint of drugs.
With an injured Devers suddenly reduced to the role ofspectator, a hurdler who missed the last Olympics on a drug bancaptured the one medal Devers truly wanted.
Olga Shishigina of Kazakstan won the 100-meter hurdles todayin 12.65 seconds. Gloria Alozie of Nigeria won the silver andMelissa Morrison of the United States — wearing dark glasses atnight — won the bronze.
Alozie’s fiance was killed when hit by a car in Sydney a fewdays before the games opened. He had been training with theNigerian team before the Olympics.
American Angelo Taylor won gold in the men’s 400-meter hurdlesand Germany’s Nils Schumann held off Wilson Kipketer at the finishline to win the 800 meters. In the women’s events, Russia’sIrina Privalova won the 400-meter hurdles and Ellina Zvereva ofBelarus won the discus.
Jones Back in Action
It was a quick night of work for Marion Jones, who continued herquest for five gold medals by reaching the semifinals of the 200and advancing to the long jump final on her first qualifying jump.It was a leap of 22 feet, 3 inches (6.78 meters).
Jones was back in the sanctuary of the track a day afterdefending her husband. Jones captured gold in the 100 meters lastweekend but since then has been engulfed in controversy surroundinghusband C.J. Hunter’s positive drug tests.
“This is where I love to be. I love to be out there in front ofthe fans, in front of the lights. It kind of gets my mind offeverything,” she said. “There’s so much going on right now, whichI’ll deal with when all the Sydney Games are done. But this is whatI love to do, and it was a good day overall — probably the best.”
But Jones’ medal hunt now is imperiled by injuries to two of herteammates on the U.S. 400-meter relay squad. Devers and IngerMiller both have hamstring problems and are questionable for therelay.
Joining Jones in Thursday’s 200-meter semifinals were U.S.teammates Nanceen Perry and Torri Edwards, who replaced injuredworld champion Miller. Also advancing was 400-meter gold medalistCathy Freeman.
Melinte Escorted Away
Shishigina missed the 1996 Atlanta Olympics while serving atwo-year drug ban. She was suspended for four years in May 1996 fortesting positive for stanozolol, the same steroid that cost BenJohnson a gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Games. Her ban later was cutto two years.
That wasn’t the only drug news from the track today.
World record-holder and world champion Mihaela Melinte ofRomania was escorted away by officials when she tried to compete inthe women’s hammer throw, two days after Romanian officials weretold she had failed a pre-games drug test.
It was the first time anyone could recall seeing an Olympicathlete removed from the field because of a drug test result.
Devers: ‘Is This a Jinx?’
Devers had been favored to win the hurdles, and finally win amedal that had eluded her for so long, but she suddenly stoppedmidway through her semifinal with a left hamstring tear and did notfinish the race.
It was the latest chapter in the hard-luck Olympic saga ofDevers, who just missed out on medals at the 1992 and 1996 games.
“I don’t think luck has anything to do with track and field. Ithink it’s skill,” she said. “I’d say my skills were not goodenough to keep me going tonight. And that’s the end of the story.”
Devers has been one of the world’s best hurdlers for the pastdecade, but has never won a medal in an Olympic hurdles event. Allthree of her gold medals at the Barcelona and Atlanta games — including two 100-meter titles — came in sprints.
Devers made a heroic recovery from a serious illness just tocompete in the 1992 Olympics.
She did not compete in 1989 and 1990 because of Graves Disease,a thyroid abnormality that caused her feet to swell so much she waswithin days of having them amputated.
Devers said she hurt her hamstring while winning a meet inBrussels on Aug. 25. She said she reinjured the hamstring whileclearing the sixth hurdle in Monday’s second-round race.
“My aim was to make it to the final and give it my all untilthe leg falls off,” she said. “Is this a jinx? Is this ’92 allover again? No. I have the utmost faith and belief in God and myspirituality, and I know he had plans for me.”
Morceli Is Spiked, Stops
A few minutes after Dever’s disappointment, defending championNourredine Morceli of Algeria stopped on the final straight of amen’s 1,500-meter semifinal after he was spiked by anothercompetitor.
Morceli, who was in the middle of a pack just behind theleaders, stopped immediately and looked down at his right leg. Thenhe walked across the finish line in disgust, spitting on theground.
“Over the last 100 meters I lost my balance and rhythm, andeveryone passed me. And there was nothing I could do,” he said,showing a large gash on his leg. “I am disappointed, but ithappened to El Guerrouj in Atlanta, it just happened to GailDevers.”
In 1996, Morceli won the Olympic medal after getting tangled upwith Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco on the final lap. El Guerroujmoved into Friday’s final by winning his semifinal heat in 3minutes, 37.60 seconds.
Also advancing in the 1,500 was American Jason Pyrah. ButStanford teammates Gabe Jennings and Michael Stember failed toreach the final.
In the men’s 200, Americans Floyd Heard, Coby Miller and JohnCapel all advanced to the semifinals. So did Ato Boldon, who isfavored in the race.
In the men’s hurdles, Taylor ran a personal-best time of 47.50seconds but had to lean at the finish line to edge Hadi SouanSomayli of Saudi Arabia — who won his nation’s first Olympic medal.Llewellyn Herbert of South Africa won the bronze.
In the men’s 800, Schumann won in 1 minute, 45.08 seconds.Kipketer got the silver and Aissa Djabir Said-Guerni of Algeria wonthe bronze.
In the women’s 400-meter hurdles, Privalova won in 53.02seconds. Deon Hemmings of Jamaica won the silver Nouzha Bidouane ofMorocco the bronze.