Marion Jones
Chronology
| 1975 | Born October 12 in Los Angeles, California |
| 1976 | Parents divorce |
| 1983 | Family moves to Palmdale, California; mother marries Ira Toler |
| 1987 | Ira Toler dies of a stroke, leaving wife to raise Marion and her brother alone |
| 1988 | After watching Seoul Olympics, Marion writes on her blackboard, "I want to be an Olympic champion." |
| 1991 | Sets national high school record in the 200-meter dash and receives invitation to appear on Good Morning America; mother moves the family to Thousand Oaks, California, so Marion can play basketball for Thousand Oaks High School; runs the year's fastest high school girls' 100-meter dash, at 11.14 seconds |
| 1992 | At state championship meet, Jones records long jump of 23', the second longest ever made by a high school girl; misses qualifying for the 1992 Olympics by only .07 second; declines offer to be an alternate on U.S. Olympic team |
| 1993 | Offered scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to play basketball; mother moves to Chapel Hill |
| 1994 | Lady Tar Heels win National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship, 60-59; earns All-American honors in four events at NCAA track-and-field championships |
| 1995 | Breaks metatarsal bone in left foot while practicing with U.S. basketball team at World University Games in August; misses entire basketball season; in December, breaks same bone again while working out on a trampoline |
| 1996 | Becomes engaged to shot putter C. J. Hunter; is unable to recover from foot injury in time for 1996 Olympic Trials; returns to play with Lady Tar Heels for 1996-97 season |
| 1997 | In March, announces she will not play with Lady Tar Heels during last year of athletic eligibility but will instead concentrate on track and field; begins training with Trevor Graham, a Jamaican track medalist in 1988 Olympics; graduates from University of North Carolina in May, wins two events at U.S. national championships, defeating Jackie Joyner-Kersee in long jump; signs a contract with Nike soon afterward |
| 1998 | Wins three gold medals at U.S.A. Outdoor Track & Field Championships, becoming first woman in fifty years to accomplish that feat; sets personal best time of 10.65 seconds in 100-meter at World Cup, fourth fastest time in history; marries Hunter on October 3 |
| 1999 | Wins every 100-meter and 200-meter race she enters until world championships in August |
| 2000 | Sets much-publicized goal of winning five gold medals in 2000 Olympics at Sydney, Australia; Nike airs series of "Mysterious Mrs. Jones" television ads, in which Marion asks why women professional athletes earn less than men; wins her first Olympic gold medal, in 100-meter dash, with a margin of .37 seconds, second greatest margin in Olympic history; two days later, news breaks that husband C. J. Hunter failed tests for use of a steroid drug—Hunter denies it; Jones wins a total of three gold and two bronze medals at Sydney, the most by any woman in a single Olympiad |
| 2001 | Announces that she will file for divorce from Hunter, citing irreconcilable differences; loses the 100-meter for the first time in four years, to Zhanna Pintusevich-Block, of Ukraine, but reclaims her title in September at Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia; films public service announcements at the Olympic Sport and Immunization Festival in Accra, Ghana |
| 2002 | Records first undefeated season of her track-and-field career; debuts as CBS network television sports analyst; in December, announces she will leave coach Trevor Graham and work with Canadian Derek Hansensidebar text |
Additional topics
Famous Sports StarsTrack and FieldMarion Jones Biography - "i Want To Be An Olympic Champion", High School Star, Tar Heels Point Guard, Chronology - CONTACT INFORMATION