Will she or won’t she, all eyes will be on Jones

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Sydney: Shamha Ahmed of the Maldives will enjoy approximately 13 seconds of fame at the Sydney Olympics on Friday.

Ahmed, with a best 100 metres time of 12.48 seconds, has been drawn in the same first round heat as Marion Jones, currently the world's fastest woman with a personal best of 10.65.

Barring a miracle, that will be Ahmed's last appearance at the Games while for Jones the 100 metres first round represents the start of a voyage into uncharted waters.

The 24-year-old American aims to become the first person to win five track and field gold medals at a single Olympics, a quest that will become progressively more difficult over the nine days of competition.

Jones is the overwhelming favourite to win the 100 metres in the absence through injury of long-term rival Inger Miller. Even if Miller makes a full recovery from a left hamstring injury sustained in training this month, she is unlikely to beat Jones in the 200.

The long jump is technically Jones's weakest event, a fact she freely concedes while pointing out that with her basic speed she is capable of jumping further than anybody in the field.

The Americans will have the four fastest women in the 4 x 100 metres relay, after which it will be the 4 x 400 relay and another step into the unknown.

Russia may threaten US bid

The Russians are traditionally strong in the 4x400 and beat the United States, without Jones, at last year's Seville world championships. The United States have not yet decided on their running order and it is possible Jones could run the final leg a metre or two down on her opponent, providing the best possible climax to the Games.

"I love running the relay," Jones said. "It could all come down to the last event." Irina Privalova, the 100 metres bronze medallist at the 1992 Barcelona Games, is a probable starter in the Russian 4 x 400 quartet at the end of a remarkable season for the 31-year-old.

Privalova has switched from the flat to the 400 metres hurdles this season and although her technique is raw her basic speed makes her a gold medal possibility in Sydney.

American Gail Devers will not defend her 100 metres title after finishing out of the places in the US trials and she will now concentrate all her energies on the high hurdles.

Devers has won three world titles over the 100 hurdles but does not yet have an Olympic title after crashing over the final barrier in Barcelona. "I don't think about the 100 metres," Devers said. "Now is the time for me to be a hurdler."

Cathy Freeman's chances of winning the 400 metres for Australia were dramatically boosted on Thursday with the news that defending champion Marie-Jose Perec of France had left Sydney.

A spokesman for her main sponsor said Perec had pulled out of the Games after being threatened at her hotel. The probability of wind and the possibility of cool conditions make world records unlikely on track.

But the world marks could fall in two events making their Olympic debut.American Stacy Dragila is confident she can improve her current world mark of 4.63 metres in the pole vault and Romanian Mihaela Melinte may break her own hammer record of 76.07 metres.



(c) Reuters Limited.