Many top athletes warming up for trials
WALNUT, Calif. -- Marion Jones is ready to run her first race outdoors since giving birth to her first child in June.
The five-time Olympic medalist, pointing toward the Athens Olympics, will compete in the Mt. SAC Relays on Sunday.
Jones began training a month after giving birth to Tim Montgomery Jr., and returned to indoor competition this year.
With the U.S. Olympic trials in Sacramento, Calif., in July, Jones and others will use the Mount San Antonio College meet as an early tuneup. She is expected to run in either the 200 meters or the 400. She won the 400 at the relays last year.
Her boyfriend, Tim Montgomery, the world record holder in the 100 meters at 9.78 seconds, also is scheduled to run at Mt. SAC.
Jones' first meet this year was the Millrose Games, where she won the 60 meters in 7.21 seconds. Later, at Birmingham, England, she won the long jump with a mark of 22 feet, 1¾ inches, and placed second in the 60 meters with a time of 7.16.
She won gold medals in the 100, 200 and 1,600 relay at the 2000 Olympics. She took bronze medals in the long jump and 400 relay.
Jones has not said if she will try for five medals again at Athens in August.
Montgomery is expected to run the 100 at Mt. SAC. Maurice Greene, the three-time world champion and 2000 Olympic gold medalist, also is set for the 100. However, he and Montgomery may decide not to go head-to-head since there are several men's 100s on the Mt. SAC schedule.
Other highlight men's events are the 5,000 meters, featuring U.S. record holder Bob Kennedy; 1996 Olympic champion Allen Johnson in the 110-meter hurdles; and 2003 world championships silver medalist Joey Woody in the 400-meter hurdles.
Three-time world champion John Godina leads the shot put field, and 2000 Olympic gold winner Virgilijus Alekna of Lithuania is entered in the discus. U.S. champion Carl Brown will go against Alekna.
The women's 100 shapes up as a duel between Torri Edwards, who was second in last year's world championships 100 and third in the 200, and Allyson Felix, an 18-year-old USC freshman who turned pro last year.
The women's 5,000 could be a battle between Lauren Fleshman and Shalane Flanagan.
The high jump features Tisha Waller. America's best discus throwers -- Aretha Hill, Suzy Powell and Seilala Sua -- meet in that event.
Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press
