Athletics: Jones back with second fastest sprint

Marion Jones

MEXICO CITY - Former Olympic sprint queen Marion Jones ran the year's second fastest 100m on her seasonal debut, clocking 11.06s to defeat ex-world champion Torri Edwards at Veracruz, Mexico, yesterday.

The race was the 30-year-old American's first appearance in 11 months and produced her fastest time since 2004.

Despite registering a morale-boosting victory, the triple gold-medal winner at the 2000 Sydney Olympics crossed the line more than 0.4s off her personal best of 10.65 set in 1998.

Edwards finished a distant second in 11.30, although the sprinters did run into a headwind.

American world 200m champion Allyson Felix has the year's fastest time of 11.04.

Jones, who hopes to re-establish herself as a world-class sprinter, has suffered a slump since giving birth to her first child with then-partner Tim Montgomery in June 2003.

The couple separated last year and Montgomery was banned from the sport for two years and stripped of his 100m world record in December by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The court made its ruling on the basis of evidence accepted from the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that he had taken banned substances provided by California laboratory BALCO.

Montgomery, who never failed a doping test while competing, has denied taking performance-enhancing drugs. Despite announcing his retirement in December, he continues to fight the ban.

USADA has also scrutinised Jones but has never charged her. She has never failed a doping test and has denied taking banned substances.

- REUTERS