Pintusevich shatters Jones' invincibility

By K.P. Mohan

EDMONTON, AUG. 7. Four years ago, in Athens, she had set off on her victory lap when she was interrupted and told that Marion Jones and not she had won. She had slumped to the ground in anguish then, but set a goal for herself. Zhanna Pintusevich- Block realised that goal in the eighth edition of the World athletic championships on Monday, bringing off a stunner that shattered the invincibility of Marion Jones.

Jones was beaten at last, over the 100 metres, not once but twice within the space of 100 minutes. And on both occasions Pintusevich was the one who dealt the shattering blow, the second time being the one that mattered. For four years, Jones had ruled the `straights' around the world, unconquered and unrivalled. Suddenly, she looked human.

Such had been her domination that no one would have ever imagined that Jones could be beaten in a title race on the global stage. Not even after Pintusevich pulled off that 10.94- 10.95 victory in the semifinals. It must have been an aberration, one thought. But the threat looked real. The fizz was missing from Marion Jones's finish. That had always been her strong point, the last part of the race.

In the final, however, the start and the finish mattered. Pintusevich was off to an excellent start, a 0.123 reaction time. That itself gave her the crucial leeway by the 20- metre mark and from then on, Jones was chasing someone else instead of being chased, in a long, long time.

Past the half-way mark, the Ukrainian still had the advantage with Jones pumping hard and still looking capable of retrieving lost ground. She had done that before and nothing suggested that she will fail this time. But into the last 20 metres, Pintusevich held on even as Jones tried desperately to avoid the disaster. An awkward lunge at the finish did not help the American. She knew perhaps that this one had slipped away.

Still, as Pintusevich exulted, Jones, on her haunches, waited for the electronic scoreboard on the far side to confirm the worst. When it came on, it showed Pintusevich at a personal best 10.82 and Jones at 10.85. The American went over and hugged Pintusevich, already in tears, overcome with emotion.

``She was the better sprinter today,'' Jones said, a wry smile crossing her face, not the patented radiant one that could normally win a million hearts. That one line kept coming back again and again through the evening.

Pintusevich was naturally elated. ``I feel so so great,'' she said. She had waited for this moment since 1997, she said. And some hard work had paid off.

No one really bothered to see who took the bronze, except the Greeks perhaps. Ekaterini Thanou had it in a season best 10.91 seconds. Behind her came Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas, whom Jones had picked as the one she will be fighting for the gold.

Thanou was happy with the bronze, for, she had not been in any great form this season and was also not hundred per cent fit. The Greek had caused quite a stir in Seville two years ago by winning the bronze and then took the silver behind Jones in the Sydney Olympics.

Perhaps Jones underestimated the threat from Pintusevich and Thanou, while talking about her training partner Sturrup. The Ukrainian as well as Sturrup had run her close at the Lausanne Grand Prix this season.

Jones did not think that she had a poor start. ``I haven't seen the reaction times, but my start was okay,'' she said. Compared to Pintusevich's reaction time, Jones's was rather poor, a 0.146 that was only fifth best among the eight finalists.

`` I felt a lot better in the final (compared to the semifinal), but broke down a little in the middle of the race,'' said Jones.

Though she was disappointed, Jones tried to play it down by saying that people do get beaten sometimes. She said that she would have plenty of motivation going into the 200 metres now. She would be playing this race over and over again in her mind 5000 times to prepare better for the 200 metres.

Pintusevich, who took the 200 metres gold in Athens, had not figured prominently since then in either of the sprints. She was fourth in Seville and fifth in the Sydney Olympics in the 100 while she finished last in the 200 metres in Sydney. Married to her agent, Mark Block since January, 1999, Pintusevich is now based in Johnson City, Tennessee, U.S.

Menendez spears new record

A few top-class performances got overshadowed amidst the commotion that Jones's defeat caused. Cuban Osleidys Menendez, the World record holder in women's javelin, touched a championship record of 69.53m, while Briton Jonathan Edwards reached a world-leading 17.92 metres in triple jump.

Stacy Dragila had a fight on her hands in pole vault, eventually settling for the gold on a countback after she and Russian Svetlana Feofanova tied at a championship record of 4.75 metres. Having cleared 4.65m on her second attempt compared to the Russian's third, Dragila retained the gold. Both, by mutual consent, agreed to raise the bar to 4.82 for the World record but failed in their attempts.

Moncur wins men's quartermile

There was a new face to take over the mantle that Michael Johnson had left behind in the 400 metres. Avard Moncur, the 23-year-old from U.S. collegiate champion from the Bahamas, won in 44.64 secs. He had failed to make the one-lap final at the last Olympics by one-hundredth of a second. Moncur had a picture of his Olympic experience and that kept motivating him to this day when he won from a field that had the experience and youth in equal measure.

Veteran Greg Haughton of Jamaica was third behind German Ingo Schultz, a former chess player who took to the track only three years ago. Schultz, also a violinist, was thrilled that he had the silver. ``I came here to reach the semifinals. I can't believe that I have the silver,'' said Schultz.

Another veteran, American Antonio Pettigrew was fourth while World junior champion and Asian champion, Hamdan Al-Bishi was sixth in 45.23s.

Osleidys Menendez, who threw to a World record of 71.54 metres in June, was able to reach 69.53 on her third attempt here. That bettered the mark of 67.09 that Greek Mirela Manjani-Tzelili set in 1999 with the new women's javelin. Manjani was second this time with 65.78 while Cuba had another youngster, Sonia Bisset in third position at 64.69.

Jonathan Edwards had opened with a 16.84 but after Swede Christian Olsson came up with a 17.47 on his third attempt, Edwards was under pressure. He put together a great jump of 17.92 metres on his third try and that held till the end of the competition.

``This is a seal on the quality of my career'', said Edwards, who jokingly remarked that Olsson should go back to his high jumping when the Swede said that he was yet to decide on the event he was to pursue.

Ali Saidi-Sief finished on top of the qualifiers for the 5000 metres. The Algerian had announced a last-minute shift from the 1500 metres to the 5000m. The defending champion, Million Wodle of Ethiopia, was second in the same heat.

Dean Macey of Britain had a one-point lead over former World record holder and defending champion, Tomas Dvorak of the Czech Republic after the first day's events in decathlon. Macey had 4638. Olympic champion Erki Nool of Estonia was lying third with 4531 while World record holder Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic was fourth with 4377.

Just as it was in the Sydney Olympics, K.M. Beenamol could not last the distance when it came to a tougher round. In the semifinals of the 400 metres, the Kerala girl was last in her heat and last overall among 24 runners in three heats with a timing of 52.68s

No further part for Greene

Maurice Greene will take no further part in the ongoing World Championships. ``I don't want my ego to get into the way of the U.S. team,'' said Greene here on Monday as the three American medallists in the men's 100 metres were brought together on one stage by their sponsor, Nike.

Immediately after retaining his 100m crown, Greene, who hobbled across the finish-line, had announced that he would not be running the 200 metres. On Today, he said that he would not be trying to get into the relay team either.

For him, the next assignment was to go back home and get rehabilitated and regain his fitness in about two weeks time to be able to resume his role in the international circuit.

Greene was limping as he came into the press conference hall and said that he was in pain as he got up in the morning. What was his feeling the day after, he was asked.

``I was very eager to get it started and am very happy that it is over. It is a dream come true for me,'' the World champion said of his outstanding success in Sunday night's dash where he clocked the history's third fastest time of 9.82 secs. He also owns the other top two timings, including the World record of 9.79s. ``I still have a lot more to accomplish. More World Championship wins, more Olympic titles and more World records,'' Greene said.

Greene said that Sunday's 100m final was the best ever he had run up to 70 metres. ``I basically took my body to where it was not supposed to go,'' he said of the condition he was in and the muscle strains that he felt during the final stages of the race.

``Where will man go from here?``, he was asked. ``There is no limit. As time goes on, man will improve. You should never doubt your own capacity'', said Greene.

Tim Montgomery, second in the eventful 100m final, a little disappointed that he ended up with the silver and lost his world- lead, echoed Greene's sentiments.

``Michael Johnson clocked 19.32 and put it in the refrigerator'', said Montgomery, obviously suggesting the futility, at least at the current levels, of trying to better that imposing record in the 200 metres.

Montgomery said that he would be trying to regain his world lead from Greene during the rest of the season and his aim would be to be known as the best like Greene.

Even as Greene pulled out from the rest of the Championships, his training partner and friend, Ato Boldon of Trinidad, also pulled out of the 200 metres stating that he was not in a position to un about eight races including those in the relay. He was however available for the relay.

Clarke tests positive

Associated Press adds:

Meanwhile, Canadian sprinter Venolyn Clarke has tested positive for an anabolic steroid, Athletics Canada announced early on Tuesday morning.

Clarke, who competed in the women's 100 metres, had traces of the anabolic steroid Stanozolol in her system. The positive result stems from a sample taken in Calgary on July 31.

Clarke finished fourth in her qualifying heat and eighth in the quarterfinals. Clarke faces a four-year ban from competition, the penalty for a first infraction. A second offence results in a permanent ban.

The results:

Men's 400m: 1. Avard Moncur (Bah) 44.64, 2. Ingo Schultz (Ger) 44.87, 3. Gregory Haughton (Jam) 44.98.

Men's triple jump: 1. Jonathan Edwards (GBR), 2. Christian Olsson (Swe) 17.47, 3. Igor Spasvkhdoskiy (Rus) 17.44.

Women's 100m: 1. Zhanna Pintusevich- Block (Ukr) 10.82, 2. Marion Jones (U.S.) 10.85, 3. Ekaterini Thanou (Gre) 10.91.

Women's pole vault: 1. Stacy Dragila (U.S.) 4.75m (meet record, old 4.70m), 2. Svetlana Feofanova (Rus) 4.75, 3. Monika Pyrek (Pol) 4.55.

Women's javelin: 1. Osleidys Menendez (Cub) 69.53 (meet record, old 67.09m), 2. Mirela Manjani-Tzelili (Gre) 65.78, 3. Sonia Bisset (Cub) 64.69.

* * *

Wednesday's finals

Men's discus

Men's 10,000m

Men's high jump

Men's 400m hurdles

Men's 3000m steeplechase

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