OLYMPICS NEWS
September 29, 2000
Marion Jones Won't Win Five Golds
American track and field star wins the bronze in the long jump
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Marion Jones may not go home with five gold medals but she is still an Olympic champion. On September 29, the American track and field star fell short of winning her third gold medal in the long jump competition. Jones took the bronze while German Heike Drechsler won the gold.
"The dream for five is not alive anymore," Jones said of her goal to win five gold medals. Had she succeeded, the 24-year-old sprinter would have been the first woman ever to win five gold medals at the same Olympic Games. "I don't regret at all saying I was going to go for five. I had a shot, and it just didn't pan out."
 |  Germany's Heike Drechsler (center) stands with her gold medal next to silver medalist Fiona May of Italy (right) and bronze medalist Marion Jones (left). |
Jones Takes the Bronze
Jones was defeated by one of the world's top long jumpers. Drechsler is 35 years old and has been competing in long jump events for the past 17 years. She won the first of her two world championships in 1983 when Jones was just 7 years old! Fiona May of Italy won the silver medal and Jones was right behind with the bronze. Jones has already won two gold medals in the 100 and 200-meter sprints. She has two events to go before the Olympics come to an end on October 1: the 400-meter relay and the 1,600-meter relay.
Legally Blind Athlete Makes Olympic Final
Being legally blind never stopped runner Marla Runyan from following her vision to become an Olympian. Runyan, 31, made Olympic history on July 16 when she became the first legally blind competitor to make any U.S. Olympic team. This weekend, Runyan will compete in the 1,500-meter final.
Runyan's participation in the games has been cheered all over the world. She has received emails, letters and calls from countries as far away as Israel and Argentina! "I have the opportunity to show the world -- kids that are losing their vision -- what life is going to be like," Runyan said. "Now there's a girl who's legally blind, and she's in the Olympic final. I hope parents out there will say, 'I'm going to let my child be whatever she wants to be.'"
Top 5 Olympic Medal Count
USA: 80 medals (33 gold, 20 silver, 27 bronze)
Russia: 61 medals (20 gold, 19 silver, 22 bronze)
China: 56 medals (26 gold, 15 silver, 15 bronze)
Australia: 53 medals (16 gold, 22 silver, 15 bronze)
Germany: 48 medals (12 gold, 14 silver, 22 bronze)
