Pubdate: Sat, 10 Jul 2004
Source: Tribune, The (CA)
Copyright: 2004 The Tribune
Contact:  http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispotribune/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/391
Author: Filip Bondy, New York Daily News

SCANDALS, CONTROVERSY CONTINUE TO HAUNT TRACK AND FIELD

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Marion Jones ran slowly Friday night, lost her race 
and then refused to talk about it. There was no need to panic, really, 
because this was just a quarterfinal heat in the 100-meter dash and Jones 
advanced to Saturday's semifinals at the U.S. Olympic track and field 
trials. But Jones has been under a microscope lately, and she suffered 
another bad day at the oval.

Jones, wearing a white track suit instead of her more familiar black 
outfit, finished second in her heat in 11.38, three-hundredths of a second 
behind LaTasha Colander. She appeared to have something in reserve, which 
Jones will need Saturday as she tries to qualify for Athens to defend her 
100-meter gold medal. "She's not talking until after the finals tomorrow," 
a USATF official said after the race. "That's what her people are saying."

There was a time when Jones spoke often, and at length. But these Olympic 
trials are set against the nasty backdrop of a drug war between the U.S. 
Anti-Doping Agency and America's most famous sprinters. Time, usually the 
avowed enemy of world-class sprinters, is decidedly on the side of several 
athletes here competing for spots.

On Friday in San Francisco, a federal judge denied USADA's bid to review 
grand jury testimony by Tim Montgomery, Chryste Gaines, Michelle Collins 
and Alvin Harrison given during a probe of the BALCO connection. The San 
Francisco Chronicle has reported that Montgomery admitted in that closed 
testimony to using human growth hormones and a designer steroid acquired 
from the BALCO lab.

Without such evidence at its disposal, and with the four athletes 
contesting USADA's charges of "a non-analytic positive" through 
arbitration, the agency will probably be unable to stop the four runners 
from competing here over the next 10 days. It is also increasingly unlikely 
those athletes will be banished before the Summer Games begin.

Gaines finished second in a different 100-meter heat last night and 
advanced to the semifinals Saturday. Jones, who has not performed anywhere 
close to her best lately, will attempt to qualify for Athens in the long 
jump and 200 meters, and perhaps to compete in relays. Jones has been 
spared the threat of banishment by USADA, although she also was called to 
testify in the BALCO case. Jones is Montgomery's training partner and the 
mother of the couple's baby boy, Monty.

Meanwhile, the scandals continued to haunt U.S. track and field on Friday, 
as triple jumper Tim Rusan was issued a public warning after he tested 
positive for marijuana at a track meet in Rio de Janeiro on May 16. Rusan 
was disqualified from his second-place finish at the meet.

Then, the very first event at the trials created a new controversy. 
Hard-luck pole vaulter Jeff Hartwig, 36, was disqualified on his third and 
final vault for a time violation. While he appealed that ruling, he missed 
again and lost any hope of making the Olympics - for the second straight 
and final time.

"I said after 2000, I'd never let myself be so disappointed again," Hartwig 
said. "This is it for me. This is what I do for a living, and the Olympics 
are a small part of that. I'm not going to let this affect me like it did 
four years ago."

In 2000, when he was a favorite for the gold medal in Sydney, Hartwig's 
contact lenses fell out during the trials and he no-heighted. He had laser 
surgery to guard against such problems again. Then Friday night, vaulting 
at 18 feet-1/2 inch, Hartwig missed twice and, on the second attempt, was 
blown off his stride by a gust of wind. When he attempted to go back to the 
top of the runway and try again, he was told he had only 12 seconds left of 
his allotted minute. An official by the pit then signaled the red flag, 
indicating he had been disqualified.

Hartwig demanded to vault again immediately, pending his appeal, but was 
told he had to file protest papers. He did that, but his marks were removed 
from the runway and he was out of his rhythm when he returned for another 
failed attempt. Later, his appeal was rejected anyway.

"My heart goes out to him," said rival Toby Stevenson, who advanced to the 
finals. "There are no shoe-ins, no guarantees."
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