Jones and Montgomery Timing Out

[EPelle]

Just read on Text-TV here in Sweden that MJ and TM are taking a time-out, and pulling out of their 8-May competitions. Both stated they are not in top form, and attributed that as their cause for withdrawal.

They pulled out of the Saturday, 08-May IAAF Japan Grand Prix in Osaka 2004.

From German Leichtathletik:

Jones und Montgomery nicht nach Japan
Marion Jones und Tim Montgomery werden nicht beim Grand Prix Meeting am 8. Mai in Osaka Japan starten. Sie zogen ihre Startzusagen wieder zurück, teilten die Organisatoren mit. Offizielle Begründung: Formschwäche. Am zurückliegenden Wochenende waren Dopingvorwürfe gegen Jones und Montgomery laut geworden (wir berichteten).

[DentyCracker]

Re: Jones and Montgomery Timing Out

Hmm, wonder if they have pulled out of the May 7th meet here as well?

[trackhead]

Re: Jones and Montgomery Timing Out

I expect Jones to announce her retirment shortly. She's already been drafted by the WNBA.

She's not going to out do herself from Sydney and she's got this drug wrap chasing her -- I see her pulling a FloJo real quick.

[Rob]

Re: Jones and Montgomery Timing Out

..

[EPelle]

Re: Jones and Montgomery Timing Out

Now on Eurosport:

http://www.eurosport.com/sport.asp?Lang ... entid=6473

[highjumpsteve]

Re: Jones and Montgomery Timing Out

re Marion and the WBNA, absolutely no way. She was a fair enough ball player on a championship team, but that's it. IMHO she was drafted by some team in the WBNA purely because of her name. She would have no chance of being a pro WBNA'er.

Whether she's dirty or not I do not know, I suspect she is clean but she was married to a dirty loser. Her marriage to CJ ended in Sydney when he was unmasked. Had she been looking the other way why he was using ? We will never know. But I think she was clean then and I think she's clean now.

She is NOT retiring. If she did, at this time, she would be forever tainted fairly or otherwise.

And if she runs all year, and falls short of whatever goals she or the media and us may be setting for her, so what ? Does not detract one bit from all she's accomplished.

[Pego]

Re: Jones and Montgomery Timing Out

I see it exactly the same way as Steve. It's better to be naive than a cynic.

[kyt]

Re: Jones and Montgomery Timing Out

Let's stop all this crap and insinuation about Jones. She's a clean athlete and the fact she was married to a drug cheat does not mean she was one. Guilty by association is not on as even my wife does not know every thing about me if i do not let her know or tell her. After all we work at different places. Nothing should distarct from Jones achievements. After all had it not been for Flo-Jo she would be the world's ever fastest lady.
Bet you that she wins at least three gold medals at this year's Olympics and God willing it may be four as should have been the case in Sydney.

[highjumpsteve]

Re: Jones and Montgomery Timing Out

I am a big Marion fan, but I have to say, if she's going to win "4 golds in Athens" it better be in the 100/200 plus the 400 R, because 1) we probably don't have the horses in the 1600 R, and 2) in the LJ, she has a slight problem, namely she does not know how to LJ. Speed helps, you bet , but you have to have the technique too. Carl Lewis had both !

[EPelle]

Re: Jones and Montgomery Timing Out

Marion has one more Olympics on tap after this one. IMO there is no reason for her to shoot for four golds in Athens. Marion has timed out due to being out of form. This season - being an Olympic year - she may have to take the opportunities afforded her and concentrate on the event(s) in which she is most poised to be competitive and have a shot at a medal. She as five long seasons left before she stated she will call it a career and hang up the spikes.

[DentyCracker]

Re: Jones and Montgomery Timing Out

Then there is that tiny matter of becoming a mother last year. Sort of changes one's perspective.

[highjumpsteve]

Re: Jones and Montgomery Timing Out

>Then there is that tiny matter of becoming a mother last year. Sort of changes
>one's perspective.

Very true Denty. We all blythly talk of these athletes like they are machines rather thean real people. I would hope that Marion has wisely put enough buckeroos in the bank that she's pretty well set. So if she makes this year her "last hurrah", up, down or sideways, I for one will cheer her all the way, even if her season is a flop/partial failure/success/rousing success.

IMHO we need more Marion Joneses and a lot less CJ Hunters.

[tm71]

Re: Jones and Montgomery Timing Out

She is NOT retiring. If she did, at this time, she would be forever tainted fairly or otherwise. >>>

i agree. her and monty have said that they did not want to risk injury or suffer jet lag knowing that they were not in great shape. instead they said they plan to compete in domestic meets in the 10 wks prior to the trials. if they make the team they will go to europe for a few meets prior to the games.
as far as her chances of 4 or 5 medals, i think it unlikely it will be that high this time. she does not have enough time to concetrate on this many events. i think it will just be the 100, 200 and 4x1.

[Rebel]

Re: Jones and Montgomery Timing Out

Marion and Tim were never signed to run in Osaka

How can they be signed to run in Osaka when they are running in Jamaica one day before? Impossible.

Right after the news broke about them dropping out, Jones´spokesperson Lewis Kay confirmed what I just said....this is just some people in the news putting out false information.

[EPelle]

Re: Jones and Montgomery Timing Out

>Marion and Tim were never signed to run in Osaka

How can they be signed to
>run in Osaka when they are running in Jamaica one day before?
>Impossible.

Right after the news broke about them dropping out,
>Jones´spokesperson Lewis Kay confirmed what I just said....this is just some
>people in the news putting out false information.

Nothing is impossible, however given both athletes claim of needing to get into form, I can see how competing in two different meets across two different continents in 24 hours would be rough.

As for Osaka, Eurosport has not retracted its story. Eurosport states that race organizers made the claim of the withdrawal from the meet.

Leichtathletik still has the story on-line without retraction:
http://www.leichtathletik.de/Dokumente/ ... sp?ID=5387

AP Wire: http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincitie ... 540860.htm

News Observer:
http://www.newsobserver.com/24hour/spor ... 3121c.html

According to the Jamaican Observer, Jones and Montgomery checking in on Tuesday:
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/h ... UESDAY.asp

I am not here to spread rumors. I accept information from unbiased, reliable sources which 99,99% of the time get their facts, figures and information straight.