Marion Jones

After the 2000 Olympics, Jones has continued to compete and win, although she lost the 100-meter to Ukrainian Zhanna Pintusevich-Block—Jones's first 100-meter loss in four years—as she was going through the separation from Hunter. She reclaimed her 100-meter title at the Goodwill Games and brought home her fourth 200-meter championship in the U.S.A. Outdoor in 2001. In 2002 she took the 100-meter and the 200-meter titles in that event and recorded the first undefeated season of her career. Awards and honors continued to pour in, and Jones made her debut as a television sports analyst with CBS in January 2002.

In December 2002, Jones made the disturbing announcement that she would no longer work with longtime coach Trevor Graham, switching to the tutelage of Canadian Derek Hansen. Hansen was rumored to be an associate of Charlie Francis, who damaged Olympic champion Ben Johnson's career by putting him on a steroid program. A photo of Francis working with Jones later gave credibility to the rumors.

Marion Jones is one of the most gifted athletes, male or female, of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. With her talent, leadership ability, and fresh good looks, she has become an inspiration to young women athletes the world over. They will be watching her in the 2004 Olympics, when Jones will be only twenty-eight and likely to win multiple gold medals. From there, who knows how far she will go.