Jones stays on track for gold
It’s so far so good for Marion Jones in Athens. Last night she qualified easily for the finals in the long jump, despite a foul on her first attempt. Here’s how it went on the NBC broadcast.
NBC Sportscaster
“Now Marion Jones received that foul in her first attempt. They only get three to qualify and the foul was rather long; but she looked very, very good on the jump; good speed on the runaway, knees were up; she didn’t get as much height as we would like to see her. But she definitely has improved and is connecting her run-up with her technique…Second attempt for Marion Jones and she barely hits the board on that one. So she gave up six or seven inches on this distance by not hitting the board. So she over adjusted in order to keep from fouling. Probably a smart thing to do at this point. You can see she just barely gets a piece of that eight inch board. But can also see that she gets a lot better height on this jump as she did on her first one. And again I am so impressed with how she is starting to learn this very difficult long jump landing. And her mark (as shown on the scoreboard) is 21-11 3/4. So she is done and she will be in Friday?s finals.”
Marion was back on the track today, running in the number two spot for the U.S. four-by-one-hundred relay team. Although it was only a qualifying heat, Jones and her team mates ran as if their lives depended on it. The broadcast comes courtesy of the Caribbean Media Corporation.
CMC Sportscaster
“Off they go; a pretty even break. Tamika topped the young Bahamian, in sixth has given her team a fairly good start. The Bahamians are little late with the baton change and the Americans are strong on the inside and are in control. Jones hands over to Lauryn Williams, the one hundred metre silver medallist on the third leg for the U.S.A., just burning up the track. And the USA are in control and the Bahamans struggling, a lousy baton change by the Bahamas and they are back in fourth at the moment, but this is a commanding performance by the United States. They have won it by thirty metres in (finishing time)41:68”
The finals for both events are scheduled for Friday, but the times have not yet be determined. We will try to bring them live, but if not, you’ll still see Marion’s performances right here on tomorrow?s newscast.
