Saturday, January 26, 2008
Marion Jones, one of the greatest track and field talents of all time was hailed as the "the Fastest woman on the planet" by reaching a top speed of 23 miles per hour. At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, is by all means a symbol of women power in sports and arguably the best female athlete in the world. Marion engraved her name in golden letters in the history of sports by becoming the first woman to win five medals at one Olympics, which she accomplished at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. When she runs, mentioning her speed, her opponents say all they see is the back of her head. Outrunning the troubles both on the track and in the personal life she runs faster as a real sprint queen.
Marion was born on 12 October, 1975 in Los Angeles. She is an American athlete of half Belizean and half African American origin. Marion was born to be an athlete and she proved her athletic capabilities at the tender ages itself. As a child, Jones was inspired by women such as track star Florence Griffith-Joyner, and vowed to win Olympic gold herself one day. In 1991, at age 15, she ran the 200 meters in 22.87 seconds, breaking the national high school record. She faltered later that year at the TAC Nationals, placing fourth in the 200 and eighth in the 100. Her national high school record in the 200 metres is still intact. In high school, Jones won the California state championship in the 100 meters four years in a row.
During her schooling Jones was an outstanding basketball player. She accepted a full scholarship to the University of North Carolina in basketball. Because of an injury Jones left the Basketball court forever and decided to concentrate on track and field. Apart from sports Marion was also excellent at studies. Jones was an outstanding basketball player while at North Carolina College
It was in Sydney at the 2000 Olympics, Marian was seen at her full caliber, winning medals after medals and bagging several records and proudly parading with both the U.S. and Belize flags during her victory laps in the stadium. Before the Olympics Jones told the press that she was aiming for five gold medals. However, she finished with three golds and two bronzes, still an astonishing feat which had never been achieved by a female athlete before.
Ms Jones won the 200-meter and 4x100 - meter world titles in 2001and retained the 100-meter world title in 2002. She also holds four of the five best times recorded in the world for the 100-meter sprint event. In 2002, Jones earned a share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot for the third time in her career (1998, 2001 and 2002) for her seven wins on the circuit in the 100-meter sprint. She ended the 2002 campaign undefeated for the first time in her career. She was flawless with 16 wins in the 100m, four in the 200m and one in the 400m. She also holds four of the five best times recorded in the world for the 100-metre sprint event.
Following her triumph in Sydney, the victory was tainted by speculation about her use of performance-enhancing drugs. Though Marion Jones has never failed a drug test, several sources claim to have witnessed her use them before, during and after the Sydney Games.
In 1998, Marion Jones married shot putter C.J. Hunter. They divorced a year later. In 2003, Marion Jones gave birth to a son, Tim Jr., named after his father Tim Montgomery, who had broken the 100 m World Record in 2002. In 2007, she married Barbadian sprinter Obadele Thompson in a small quiet ceremony. Thompson won the 100m bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The couple are currently expecting their first child.
Her auto biography 'Life in the Fast Lane' depicts the ups and downs of Jones's life. Undeniably, Jones is a great athlete. Jones says that the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will be her last. She has become an inspiration to thousands of young girls who dream of athletic triumph
Her positive attributes have contributed to her being named Ambassador to the Central American nation of Belize, from which her mother hails. The Marion Jones Foundation, which is created to help young girls to achieve the goals of becoming sports stars, has raised millions of dollars, a portion of which has gone into improving Belize's sports facilities. Her organization has also partnered with the YWCA, YMCA and Big Brothers/Big Sisters in the U.S. to fund programs that encourage and aid children and teens in their pursuit of education, personal development, sports, fitness, and nutrition.
