Marion opts out of 200 metres

Fans hoping to see Marion Jones defend her three gold and two bronze medals in Athens may have to settle for a single effort in the long jump, as over the weekend the Belizean hero withdrew from the two hundred meter final at the U.S. qualifying meet in Sacramento. Making her decision just two hours before the scheduled run, Jones cited exhaustion as the reason for her decision.

Marion Jones, Withdrew from 200 Metres

?I?m just tired, just been a long week and a half for me, a lot of competing, a lot of jumps a lot of races and I just woke up this morning and I was fatigued. And I have always said that when I step on the track I want to give my best and I didn?t feel that today I would be able to go out there and give my best.?

NBC Sports caster

?You used the word fatigued–how much of it given what you?ve gone through is physical, how much of it is emotional??

Marion Jones

?Oh I think most of it is physical. I think any time you go to Olympic trials, you ask any of these athletes you are going to be emotionally drained at the end. But yeah I am physically tired. I?ve put in a lot of jumps a lot of races. I haven?t run a lot this year and so three races, few days ago, an on yesterday took a lot out of me, and I woke up this morning, I felt like an old lady. And so, that?s the reason for withdrawing from the two hundred. It?s unfortunate; I would have loved to have been able to defend my two hundred metres Olympic title. Didn?t happen this year, I?m not going to loose a lot of sleep over it. I have another event I am going to concentrate on and I?m excited about it.?

In addition to the long jump, there is the possibility that Jones will be selected to join one or two of the U.S. relay teams. She will also be an alternate to compete in the hundred metres, taking the track if two of the four women who finished ahead of her are unable to run in Athens.