SYDNEY, Australia (AP) _ Marion Jones, back in the sanctuary of the track after a day spent defending her husband, resumed the quest for five gold medals at the Sydney Games by winning her qualifying heat of the women's 200 meters.

Jones captured gold in the 100 meters last weekend but since then has been engulfed in controversy surrounding husband C.J. Hunter's positive drug tests. She won her first-round heat in the 200 in 22.75 seconds Wednesday (Tuesday night EDT).

There was other drug news at the track.

World record-holder and world champion Mihaela Melinte of Romania was escorted away by officials when she tried to compete in the women's hammer throw, two days after Romanian officials were informed she had failed a pre-games drug test. This is the first Olympics for the women hammer throwers, and the first time anyone could recall seeing an Olympic athlete removed from the field because of a drug test.

Giorgio Reineri, spokesman for the International Amateur Athletic Federation, said Melinte tested positive for nandrolone _ the same drug found in Hunter's system. He said the Romanian team was informed of her suspension on Monday.

IAAF medical commission chairman Arne Ljungqvist said Melinte tested positive at a meet in Milan, Italy, on June 7, and should never have been at the track Wednesday.

"We delivered the necessary information to all those concerned in due time," Ljungqvist said. "It should not have happened this way."

Jones received loud applause when introduced before her heat, and responded with a big smile.

The second round of the 200 was set for later in the day, as were the qualifying rounds of the women's long jump _ another event for Jones.

"I've said it all along. Today was going to be the most difficult because of two rounds of the 200 and having to jump," she said. "I tried to conserve my energy in the first round. I felt good. Now I want to get off my feet. I hope I can run an easy 200 tonight and I'm not scared of injury."

Also advancing to the second round were U.S. teammates Torri Edwards and Nanceen Perry. Edwards was a late replacement for reigning world champion Inger Miller, who withdrew with a severely strained left hamstring.

Joining them in the second round was 400-meter champion Cathy Freeman, who qualified by placing third in her heat. The crowd roared for Freeman.

"I really needed it," Freeman said of the race. "I will feel better as the rounds progress. If there was one I could afford to relax in, it was that one."

Marla Runyan, the first U.S. paralympian to reach the Olympics, passed her first test at the Sydney Games by advancing out of the qualifying rounds of the women's 1,500.

Runyan, who is legally blind, was joined in the semifinals by compatriot Suzy Favor Hamilton. But Shayne Culpepper, a late replacement for the ailing Regina Jacobs, was eliminated.

Also ousted was defending champion Svetlana Masterkova of Russia, who stopped running after about 50 meters. Masterkova, the reigning world champion, also won the 800 meters at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Runyan, who has an incurable retina condition called Stargardt's Disease that has reduced the middle of her eyesight, qualified by placing seventh in her heat in 4 minutes, 10.83 seconds.

"Visually there were no excuses and no problems, except the finish was very crowded," Runyan said. "The track was fine. It was great running in this stadium in front of this crowd."

Favor Hamilton, who also had to overcome major obstacles to reach Sydney, won her heat in 4:08.08. She had Achilles' tendon surgery last year and also had to deal with the suicide of her brother. To remember him, she has resumed using her maiden name _ Favor _ in competition.

Runyan and Favor Hamilton still face a daunting task in the 1,500. No American woman has won an Olympic medal at that distance.

Culpepper was ninth in her heat in 4:12.52. She got a spot in the event when Jacobs, among the favorites in the 1,500, withdrew because of a respiratory ailment.

American Chris Huffins led after three events of the decathlon. He had 2,773 points for a 44-point lead over Erki Nool of Estonia. World champion and 1996 Olympic bronze medalist Tomas Dvorak of the Czech Republic was fourth.

All three Americans won their heats in the first round of the men's 200. Floyd Heard, John Capel and Coby Miller _ running with a U.S. flag painted on his forehead _ easily qualified for the second round.

Ato Boldon, silver medalist in the 100 last weekend, won his heat in 20.52 seconds. He is the pre-race favorite, since Michael Johnson and Maurice Greene were injured in the 200-meter final at the U.S. trials and failed to qualify in that event.

Christie van Wyk of Namibia finished his 200-meter heat in 46.57 seconds, hobbling across the finish line clutching his right thigh and then refusing an offer of a wheelchair and limping off the track.

Americans Connie Price-Smith, Jesseca Cross and Teri Tunks all failed to advance out of the qualifying rounds in the shot put.

Cross also failed to advance out of the qualifying rounds in the hammer throw, but U.S. teammates Dawn Ellerbe and Amy Palmer both reached the final. It was during the qualifying rounds that Melinte was escorted off the track.

"We were informed by the IAAF that we should escort her off the field, which we did," said Jayne Pearce, a spokeswoman for Sydney Olympic organizers. "We would never do that on our own."

In the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, none of the three Americans _ Mark Croghan, Anthony Cosey and Pascal Dobert _ advanced to Friday's final.

Libbie Hickman reached the final of the women's 10,000 meters, but U.S. teammates Jenn Rhines and Deena Drossin failed to advance out of the qualifying heats.

(Copyright 2000 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)