GATESHEAD, England, 27 June 2004 — Triple Olympic champion Marion Jones will forget her off-track problems when she takes part in an IAAF Super Grand Prix meeting today.
Jones, under investigation by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, will line up in a long jump worthy of an Olympic final at Gateshead.
The American faces Germany’s Heike Drechsler and Italy’s Fiona May, who both beat her at the Sydney Games in 2000, as well as European champion Tatyana Kotova and world indoor champion and fellow Russian Tatyana Lebedeva.
Olympic heptathlon champion Denise Lewis and European silver medalist Jade Johnson, both from Britain, also compete.
For Jones, who arrived in Britain on Friday, the severity of the competition will be a welcome respite.
The 28-year-old and her partner Tim Montgomery, the world 100 meters record holder, have become embroiled with the BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative) doping scandal.
Jones, under scrutiny but who not been charged, has persistently denied taking performance-enhancing drugs and has never failed a test. While the spotlight will be on Jones, the meeting at Gateshead International Stadium also sees a first British track appearance in two years for Paula Radcliffe.
Radcliffe, who has consistently campaigned against drug use, said the BALCO investigation was crucial. “In the short term it’s not good for the sport,” Radcliffe was quoted as saying in Sunday Guardian newspaper.
Radcliffe is seeking to become only the second woman to break the 30-minute barrier for the 10,000 meters, although Wang Junxia’s 11-year world record of 29 minutes 31.78 seconds may be beyond her.
Radcliffe, whose best is 30:01.09, has not officially ruled out doubling-up in Athens but insists the marathon, at which she is the world record holder, is her main target. The 10,000 takes place just five days after the marathon.
Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele, fresh from his world record-breaking displays over 5,000 and 10,000 meters, will contest the 3,000 while world 100 meters champion Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis is one of eight champions from Paris on show.
