Athletics: Jones out of glamour meet after poor showing

American sprinter Marion Jones has pulled out of the United States' most prestigious grand prix meeting after two poor performances in Europe.

The former triple Olympic champion's name was not on a list of women's 100m contestants released for tomorrow's Prefontaine Classic.

The meeting, endorsed by Jones' major sponsor, Nike, has attracted 16 Athens Olympic gold medallists and a bevy of top athletes, including British world marathon record-holder Paula Radcliffe.

Organisers had never announced Jones' entry but she had said in Milan this week she would run the 100m in Oregon. She apparently changed her mind after being beaten for the second time in four days by former training partner Chandra Sturrup in Milan.

Jones said after her defeat in Milan that she would "now go back home to train and do my best to make the US team for August's world championships".

Her decision not to run in the Prefontaine meeting came as organisers of the super grand prix in Lausanne announced they would not invite Jones to their July 5 event. "She is clearly not in shape," meeting director Jack Delapierre said, referring to Jones' sluggish 100m shows in Milan and Hengelo three days earlier, when she was also second to Bahamian Sturrup.

"We're not banning her," Delapierre said. "If she calls to say she wants to race for practice and without appearance money, then that might be possible."

The Euro Meetings group decided last month not to invite Jones or partner Tim Montgomery to its events because of the pair's association with the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, which is at the centre of an international doping scandal.

Neither Jones nor Montgomery has failed a doping test, but the US Anti-Doping Agency has charged world 100m record holder Montgomery with serious doping violations.

An appeal is scheduled for Tuesday in San Francisco.

Jones also has been under scrutiny by the agency but has never been charged.

- REUTERS