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Queen Marion crowned with an Olympic gold
= = SYDNEY, Sept 23 (AFP) - American sprint sensation Marion Jones won her first ever Olympic gold with a shattering display here in the women's 100 metres on a chilly Saturday evening. The 24-year-old world champion clocked 10.75 to head off the challenge from Greece's silver medalist Ekaterini Thanou and bronze winner Tanya Lawrence of Jamaica. Jones, going for a record-busting five track and field titles here, broke into a huge smile as she swept across the line to the roars of the 100,000 strong crowd packed into Stadium Australia. Seconds later her smile turned to tears of joy as she hugged friends in the crowd before starting a lap of honour with the American flag and for some of the way she also carried the flag of Belize - the land of some of her ancestors. It was a brilliant Olympic debut for the former basketball star who turned down a chance to compete in the US 4x100 relay team at the Barcelona Games in 1992, claiming she was not ready. Jones has not lost a 100m race since 1997 and she never looked like losing her record here as she ran her fastest 100m of the year. So confident was Jones that she blew a kiss to the crowd during the pre-race introductions. But her concentration was fully tested. Just before the starters gun was about to fire Debbie Ferguson of the Bahamas raised her hand to delay the start. Then Thanou had a false start. The race got underway at the third attempt. "It's a dream come true," said Jones afterwards. "It's finally here. I have dreamed about this for 19 years. Now for the other four." For veteran Merlene Ottey, making her sixth and final appearance in an Olympics in a career that started in Moscow in 1980, there was to be no final glory. The 40-year-old had caused a storm amongst her Jamaican teammates when she was selected for the Olympic team. Ottey finished fourth in the trials but was given a place anyway. She was determined to prove her critics wrong but in the end Ottey could only manage fourth as age finally caught up with her. But Ottey refused to be downheartened. "It was good to get this far. A lot of people, including Jamaicans did not think I could," she said. "This is my last major race. I will run only twice next year," she added, bringing down the curtain on a brilliant career. Lawrence was thrilled with a bronze. "My first Olympics, my first medal. It's a dream," she enthused. Thanou was stunned by her silver medal success. "I was a bit worried before the race. I did not feel ready. I didn't feel that I was at my best and also the weather was a bit too cold for me but I was able to overcome it all. I was very surprised by my time," she explained.
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