Olympics: Athletics: Jones Slips Through Unnoticed

At Sydney four years ago it was impossible to move without being reminded of Marion Jones's "Drive for Five", the name her sponsors had given her audacious attempt to win a record five Olympic gold medals. There were billboards, magazine features, TV adverts, the lot. She was inescapable.

She ultimately ended up with five medals but only three were gold, two bronze. Still, it consolidated her position as the sport's most marketable asset until her name became increasingly linked with investigations into banned performance-enhancing drugs.

At these Olympics Jones has disappeared off the radar screen, having qualified only for the long jump. And, in truth, no one has missed her, such is the stigma attached to her now, even though she denies taking drugs and has not been charged by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

Jones looked pensive and apprehensive when she lined up for the long-jump qualifying last night. In contrast to 2000, there was no major introduction, merely a polite ripple of applause.

Carolina Kluft, the 21-year-old Swede with the golden hair and the 200-megawatt smile, has replaced Jones as the sport's darling. Unlike Jones she did not seem to have a care in the world last night, having already won the heptathlon here, and her first effort of 6.78 metres took her to the final.

On Jones's first jump she put her foot over the board earning a red flag. On her second she leapt from behind the board but still sailed out to 6.70m, 5cm beyond the automatic qualifying distance for the final tomorrow. Britain's Jade Johnson, who jumped 6.71m, will join her.

"I'm excited to be back on the track," said Jones. "It was difficult for me, the past few days, watching the finals. Now I've made it to the final."

Jones is clearly determined not to buckle under the pressure she must be feeling and hopes to challenge for at least one more medal on Saturday. She has been practising with other members of the relay squad at the US pre-Olympic training camp in Crete in the hope of being selected for the 4x100m and 4x400m.

Some squad members, however, most notably the 1992 and 1996 Olympic 100m champion Gail Devers, do not want her on the team. They fear that, if Jones is subsequently charged by Usada and found to have committed a doping offence, any medals won will be taken away by the International Olympic Committee.

Britain's sprinters sadly fulfilled gloomy prophecy. Having failed to get anyone to the 100m final for the first time since 1976, they did the same at 200m, Darren Campbell and Christian Malcolm going out in the semi- finals.

Campbell, the 2000 Olympic silver medallist, was hampered by a hamstring injury and finished last in 20.89sec before slumping to the track in a mix of agony and disappointment.

Later he let rip at the BBC's television pundits Colin Jackson and Michael Johnson. "I am not a quitter," he said. "To be ridiculed like that is disgraceful. I tore my hamstring but I don't know how to give up. If they want to see the scans they can. I could have walked away but I don't know how to do that.

"I have been having treatment from 8.30am until 12.30am just to get me on the track and it is only thanks to the medical team that I was out there today. I was hoping this would be my last championships but after a bad games I can't leave it like this. I'm going to have to rethink and come back in four years."

Malcolm went in the second semi but he too felt the effects of his kidney failure a fortnight ago and finished seventh in 20.77 seconds.

Justin Gatlin, the American winner of the 100m, remained on course to become the first man to complete the double since Carl Lewis 20 years ago as he qualified easily for the final tonight.

But the Olympic career of Allen Johnson almost certainly ended at 33 when he crashed into the ninth barrier in the 110m hurdles semi-final and fell over and out.

Hicham El Guerrouj allowed himself precious little time to let being Olympic 1500m champion sink in. Less than 24 hours after winning one of the greatest races the sport has seen on Tuesday he lined up for the 5,000m.

The Moroccan qualified easily for the final on Saturday, where he will be trying to become the first man since Paavo Nurmi 80 years ago to complete the Olympic 1500-5,000m double.