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| Tuesday, July 2 Jones records fifth straight 100 victory Associated Press |
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LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Marion Jones won the 100 meters Tuesday for a fifth straight victory, and Gail Devers overcame a clumsy start to set a stadium record in the 100 hurdles at the Athletissima track meet.
Jones, who won an unprecedented five medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, clocked 11.05 seconds to beat Tayna Lawrence of Jamaica by .09. Bahamas' Debbie Ferguson was third in 11:20.
While Jones' time was unremarkable, particularly on a lightning-quick track that has always suited her, it was enough to give her a fourth 100-meter victory in Lausanne. Four years ago, she set the stadium record of 10.72.
But this time, a brush in the blocks with Lawrence in lane three prevented Jones from racing at her peak.
"At the start Tanya Lawrence and I hit hands and that threw my race off a little bit,'' the 26-year-old Jones said. "But I won the race, not very fast, but considering, I'll take it.''
Jones will race next in Paris on Friday. She has shown strong form this season, winning four other 100s, including the U.S. championships and Golden League meet in Oslo last week. She won her fourth national title in the 100 earlier this year.
She has been invincible in both sprints since finishing second to Zhanna Pintusevich-Block of Ukraine in the 100 final last summer at the world championships in Edmonton.
The 35-year-old Devers, unbeaten this season in the event, crossed in 12.40 seconds, shaving off 0.11 from the season's previous best time she set June 23 in Stanford, Calif. She also bettered the Pontaise track record she set two years ago by .10 seconds.
"I slipped out of the starting block and everybody else was gone,'' Devers said after recording the fourth-best time of her career. "I tried to attack and keep going. I thank God that He allowed me to get my feet back, and I'm very happy.''
Mozambique's Maria Mutola smashed the season's best time in the women's 800, clocking 1:56.26.
Mutola, who won the Olympics in Sydney and world championships in Edmonton, slashed 1.37 seconds off the previous season's top time of 1:57.63 set by Slovenia's Jolanda Ceplak in May.
Francis Obikwelu, a Nigerian who now races for Portugal, won the men's 100 in 10.10. After Olympic and world champion Maurice Greene and Ato Boldon withdrew from the meet citing fatigue, Obikwelu beat Americans Tim Montgomery, Bernard Williams and Joshua Johnson.
Lorraine Fenton of Jamaica set another season's best in the women's 400, clocking 50.40 -- .03 faster than the previous top time set by Australia's Michelle Collins.
Kenya's Benjamin Limo set a year's best time in the 3,000, crossing in 7:36.02 -- 1.51 faster than the previous best set by compatriot Paul Bitok.
Racing in lane seven, Britain's Chris Rawlingson won the men's 400-meter hurdles in 48.21 ahead of 1997 world champion Stephane Diagana of France and 1999 world titlist Fabrizio Mori of Italy.
Olympic champion Angelo Taylor of the United States finished seventh, almost a full second off the pace.
Romania's Maria Cioncan won the women's 1,500 in 4:03.11. Cioncan, who won the 2002 European Cup, finished ahead of Russians Yelena Zadorozhnaya and Olga Yegorova. |
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