Friday, December 22 Three golds impress international journalists
	Reuters LONDON -- U.S. sprinter Marion Jones, who won three gold medals at the Sydney Olympics, but failed in her quest to take home five, is the Reuters sportswoman of the year. Gold medalists from the Olympic Games swept the top three places in the poll with Jones scoring 171 points out of a possible 250, ahead of Australian athlete Cathy Freeman with 120 and Dutch swimmer Inge de Bruijn, who took third place with 103. Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Olympic champion Venus Williams came fourth with 97 points and Australian golfer Karrie Webb took fifth place with 31. "Jones was the dominant figure at the biggest sports event of the year," said Joseph Romanos at the New Zealand Listener magazine. Jones made an ambitious bid for five golds in Sydney, but finished with victories in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 1,600 relay. "Marion Jones may have failed in her quest for five gold medals in Sydney, but she is the supreme sprinter of the modern era," said Clive Ellis at the Daily Telegraph in London. Fifty sports editors and journalists from 37 countries nominated up to five leading sportswomen. Each first place choice was awarded five points, the second-placed took four points and so on. Runner-up Cathy Freeman won the 400 gold medal after lighting the Olympic flame in what became one of the most enduring and symbolic moments of the Games. "Cathy Freeman delivered all that was expected of her and more at Sydney," said Ori Lewis at Haaretz in Israel. As Australia's most prominent Aboriginal sportsperson, Freeman was seen as a symbol of the country's 200-year struggle for reconciliation between blacks and whites. "Her victory came to symbolize so much more than an Olympic gold medal," said Brian Walsh at the Herald Sun in Melbourne. "It was a victory for her race, for tolerance in this country and managed to unite 19 million Australians -- if only for one memorable night." Third-placed de Bruijn capped an astonishing year by winning three individual golds in Sydney, all in world record time. Just points behind de Bruijn in the poll, Williams became the first black Wimbledon champion since the late Arthur Ashe in 1975. Williams defeated younger sister Serena in the Wimbledon semifinal before beating defending champion Lindsay Davenport in the final. She went on to win the U.S. Open in New York and the singles title at the Sydney Olympics. "She's the first female sportswoman to also become a superstar," said Federico Fregni, a freelance Italian sports journalist. Fifth place in the poll went to world No. 1 women's golfer Webb, who won LPGA Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.		ALSO SEE Woods clear winner of Reuters' sportsman of the year award