Pintusevich-Block upsets Jones

Zhanna Pintusevich-Block of the Ukraine turned the world of women's sprinting upside down on Monday by defeating overwhelming favourite Marion Jones in the world 100 metres final.

It was the American triple Olympic champion's first defeat in a final over the distance since she lost to Jamaican Merlene Ottey four years ago.

A hint of things to come had emerged in the semifinals when Pintusevich-Block edged Jones by one-hundredth of a second. Outwardly, though, the triple Olympic champion seemed unworried and said she was looking forward to the final.

Ninety minutes later Pintusevich-Block shot out of the blocks and held on to win in the biggest sprint upset since Carl Lewis defied the years to beat world record holder Leroy Burrell at the Tokyo world championships 10 years ago.

LONG WAIT
Pintusevich-Block had waited four long years for Monday's triumph.

At the 1997 Athens world championships, Jones won her first major title by two-hundredths of a second ahead of the Ukrainian, who found little consolation in winning the 200.

Pintusevich-Block then failed to win a medal at either the 1999 Seville world championships or at last year's Sydney Olympics.

"It was a dream come true to win the 100," she said. "The 200 is not the same. To me the 100 is always the number one event.

"My Olympic year was horrible. I expected a medal. I was so disappointed and it took me a while to recover mentally."

Jones was as gracious in defeat as in victory.

"People get beaten sometimes," she said. "She deserved it today. She has put in the hard work and ran a wonderful race.

"It is the sign of a true champion when you come back from such a defeat, put it together and get tough again," Jones said.

"This is going to give me plenty of motivation for the 200."

Pintusevich-Block clocked 10.82 seconds, three-hundredths of a second ahead of Jones with Greece's Olympic silver medallist Ekaterini Thanou third in 10.91.

CHEQUERED CAREER
The 29-year-old Ukrainian has endured a chequered career since her gold and silver in Athens.

She finished fourth in the 1999 Seville world 100 final and failed to start in her quarter-final of the 200.

Last year she finished out of the medals at the Sydney Olympics with a fifth place in the 100 and eighth in the 200.

Jones, the finest sprinter-long jumper since her compatriot Carl Lewis, has also endured mixed fortunes over the past three years.

Two years ago she won the world 100 metres in Seville but then fell in the semifinals of the 200 and made an early exit from Spain.

Last year, she announced she was going to attempt an unprecedented five gold medals at the Sydney Olympics and made a great start with the widest victory margin ever in the women's 100 final.

News that her husband C.J. Hunter, the 1999 world shot put champion, had failed four tests for drugs did not stop her winning the 200 metres final by four metres.

But she could manage bronze only in the long jump, her weakest event, and picked up another bronze in the 4x100 relay before anchoring the 4x400 team to victory.