The drive for five

At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Marion Jones will attempt to become the first woman to win five track and field gold medals at a single Games. Jones' five would come in her three individual events (100 meters, 200 meters and long jump) plus the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relays. Finnish distance runner Paavo Nurmi (1924) is the only athlete to win five track and field gold medals at one Olympics. The women's record for track golds at a single Games is four, set in 1948 by Fanny Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands ( see chart ). At the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, Jones easily won the two sprints, but she nearly failed to qualify for Sydney in the long jump. After fouling on her first two attempts in the final, she needed a leap in excess of 20 feet, 10 inches to stay in the competition. With an Olympic berth at stake, she soared 22-1 3/4; on her fifth attempt, Jones went 23-0 1/2, a mark that was good for victory.

Dress rehearsal

In the buildup to Sydney, Jones attempted to win four gold medals at the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Spain. One day after her husband, C.J. Hunter, won gold for the U.S. in the shot put, Jones clocked a meet-record 10.70 seconds to defend her world title at 100 meters. But in her second event, the long jump, Jones managed only the bronze medal; that result, which followed a runner-up effort at the 1999 nationals, confirmed that of her three individual events, the long jump presents with the greatest challenge. Later in the meet, during her 200 semifinal race, Jones pulled up with a back injury and did not finish. The injury forced her to withdraw from the meet and to miss the remainder of the 1999 season.

Almost perfect season

Jones in 1998 turned in one of the greatest single-year performances in track and field history. Of the 36 outdoor finals she competed in, she won 35. Her only loss came in her last meet of the season when she finished second in the long jump in Johannesburg, South Africa. She was Track and Field News’ Women's Athlete of the Year.

Early accolades

One of her high school coaches, Brian Fitzgerald, began touting Jones before her freshman year. Jones went on to become the junior national champion in both sprint events in 1991 and 1992, and she set a junior record in the 200 meters. In 1993, Sports Illustrated climbed aboard the bandwagon: "How good is Marion Jones? Here's an answer straight and simple as the 100 itself: She is the greatest sprint talent ever."

Two-sport star

Jones averaged 23 points per game in basketball as a senior in high school, and she was on the track and basketball teams at the University of North Carolina. She averaged 16.8 points per game as a freshman point guard while helping the Tar Heels win the NCAA title, but her performances on the track were underwhelming.

Broken dream

Mindful of criticism that she was doing her track career a disservice by playing two sports, Jones intended to prove her doubters wrong at the 1996 Olympics. But in the summer of 1995, she broke a bone in her left foot while practicing with the U.S. basketball team at the World University Games. She missed the Olympics, then broke her foot again in December 1996 and missed the rest of the college basketball season.

Back on track

After graduating from North Carolina with a degree in communications in 1997, Jones quit basketball and quickly became a dominant force in track and field. At the 1997 nationals, she beat Olympic champions Gail Devers (in the 100) and Jackie Joyner-Kersee (long jump), becoming the first women's double national champion in those events since Sheila Echols in 1988. Later that year, Jones claimed the title of "world's fastest woman" by winning the 100-meter final at the World Championships in Athens, Greece.