Jones fifth; Greene stunned in 100m

EUGENE: Marion Jones finished a distant fifth behind winner Inger Miller in the women’s 100 metres on Saturday at the Prefontaine Classic. In the men’s 100, Shawn Crawford stunned Maurice Greene with a 9.88-second clocking. Greene was second at 9.93 and John Capel third at 9.95 — the three fastest times in the world this year and the first sub-10-second 100s in the meet’s 31-year  history. Jones’ embattled boyfriend, Tim Montgomery, was sixth in the eight-man field at 10.17 seconds.

Crawford, better known as a 200-metre runner, caught the leaders ten metres from the tape, and leaned in just ahead of Greene. Greene had been called for a false start, walking 50 metres down the track before returning to the blocks. Miller came on at the finish to nip 37-year-old Gail Devers, the two-time Olympic champion in the event who was running her first 100 of the season. Both were timed in 11.05 seconds.  Chryste Gaines, one of those notified by the US Anti-Doping Agency that they could be banned from the Athens Olympics, was third in 11.06. Latashya Colander was fourth at 11.10, with Jones fifth at 11.12. Jones later was to compete in the long jump at the meet, turning her attention to the track after a confrontational week with the anti-doping agency.
 
“I’m sure I would love if there weren’t those distractions,” Jones said. “But that’s the hand that I’ve been dealt, and I deal with it.”
Greene said his performance “let me know what I need to work on — the middle part of my race. I kind of rushed it. I need to be patient, and I haven’t been patient all year.” Felix Sanchez, the 2003 world champion, earned his 36th consecutive victory in the  400-hurdles, winning in 48.12 seconds, the world’s second-fastest time this year. The New York-born hurdler, who grew up in southern California but competes for the Dominican Republic, is undefeated in the event since 2001. Olympic gold medalist and world champion Maria Mutola of  Mozambique got by far the biggest cheer of all athletes introduced in front of the standing-room-only crowd. She won the 800 metres for the 12th time at the Pre meet in 1:57.78.