LOS ANGELES, 24 May 2004 — Marion Jones and Maurice Greene got the extra push they needed on Saturday.
Jones and Greene benefitted from strong tailwinds as they easily raced to 100m victories at the Home Depot Invitational meet on Saturday. Two-time world champion Jones finished in a wind-aided 10.99 seconds then completed her second double in as many meets as she leaped 7.13 meters to capture the long jump.
“I am pleased with the time in the 100 and the long jump,” Jones said. “To hit the seven meters club is always a good thing, regardless of the wind.”
The American sprint queen beat 100m runner-up Angela Daigle by .18 of a second while LaKeisha Backus was third in 11.23.
Jones exploded out of the blocks and led from start to finish while getting help from a favorable wind of 4.4 meters per second.
Earlier this month, Jones won both the 100m and the long jump at the Jamaican International Invitational meet. She improved upon her winning time in Kingston by .05 of a second in her triumph here.
In her first outdoor race of 2004, Jones finished a disappointing fourth in 200m at last month’s Mount San Antonio College Relays.
“I am right where I want to be,” said Jones, who is just getting back into regular competition after giving birth a year ago. “I had a little bit of a layoff last year, but now I am excited. My goal is gold in Athens.”
But Jones is growing tired of answering questions about the doping scandal that has sent shudders through the US track and field community. She couldn’t escape questions about the ongoing doping probe on Saturday.
She did not want to comment on a San Jose Mercury News report on Saturday that Greene’s coach John Smith met and signed a confidentiality agreement in 2001 with California-based Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) owner Victor Conte.
“Story, schmory — I am not listening to it,” Jones said prior to her race.
Greene, the Sydney Olympic gold medalist, won the 100m in a wind-aided 9.86sec, finishing well ahead of runner-up Doc Patton (9.96). Rae Edwards placed third in 10.04.
“I have to run well in Los Angeles,” said Greene, who had a tailwind of 4.6 meters per second. “This is my home here in California. Maurice is the greatest of all-time.”
Greene, who also won here in 2003, took off his shoes after crossing the finish line and placed them on the track to be hosed down with a fire extinguisher.
Hussein Al-Sabee, of Saudi Arabia, dominated the men’s long jump by leaping 8.41 meters. American Bryan Johnson was second with a jump of 7.84.
Jamaica’s Brandon Simpson clocked 45.56sec in the men’s 400m to edge out American Calvin Harrison (45.57).
In the women’s 100m hurdles, Melissa Morrison won with a time of 12.44, beating fellow Americans Gail Devers (12.52) and Miesha McKelvy (12.62). Canadian star Perdita Felicien was fourth in 12.70. Toby Stevenson won the men’s pole vault (5.60m) while Tim Mack placed second (5.50m).
