Field: Marion's 'drive for five' takes a dive

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Marion Jones' golden sunset took on a bronze hue over Olympic Stadium on Friday night.

The perky Jones has been the talk of Sydney with her promise of five golds. But last night in the sandpit, Jones, a steeplechasing racehorse amongst a herd of gazelles, never looked like filing a claim.

The sprint sensation with the silver shoes fouled four of her six jumps and ended up with bronze.

If she looked a little less enthusiastic about winning her second gold on Thursday night, she was positively unimpressed with her pickings last night.

German Heike Dreschler stole Jones' No 3 gold - winning her second Olympic title in a stunning 20-year career.

And as much as the parlimentarian and mum was the heroine of track and field's penultimate night, all eyes were trained on the North Carolina former basketball star with such big ambitions.

"Of course I'm a bit disappointed in my performance," Jones said.

"I woke up this morning hoping to talk to you with another gold around my neck. But I can look in the mirror and be pleased with myself.

"And the positive thing I can take out of it is that I'll tell my grandkids in 30 years time that I competed against one of the greatest long jumpers in history."

It was a balmy night, with a wicked warm wind which caused almost more fouls than valid jumps.

And Miss Marion was one of the worst culprits.

She fouled her first jump, her big toe kissing the black line.

She looked pained executing her second - the jagged run and crash landing measuring 6.68m, good enough for fourth place.

Dreschler's third leap was her best this year - 6.99m - and it was never rivalled.

The closest Jones got was 6.92m, soon equalled by Italian Fiona May in the third round.

But May, the silver medallist in Atlanta, got the nod for silver again because she consistently jumped better than Jones all night.

Dreschler didn't even have to make her last leap - the gold was already hers.

The first to congratulate her was Jones, a warm hug before the German was off to boogie with her friends in the far stand.

Dreschler is a survivor. She first won the world championships 17 years ago, when she was 18, and was world No 1 for four years in a row.

She came back from public condemnation - after allegations she was fed steroids under communist rule - had a baby, and served in the German parliament.

Her happiness on the podium was a delight, and May - a former Briton now an Italian fashion designer - was bouncing around like two silvers were much better than one gold.

Smack in the middle of her long jump ordeal, Jones walked to the edge of the track to urge on her team-mates in another of her gold hopes, the 4 x 100m relay.

The Americans scrambled home in second behind the Bahamas, who have already warned Jones that there ain't no gold in these parts either.

Saturday night is her chance to at least make it four out of five, in the final of the 4 x 400m relay.