Montgomery, Jones Win Owens Award

Marion Jones capped an undefeated track season by winning the Jesse Owens Award -- and sharing it with her training and romantic partner, Tim Montgomery.

Jones, who recorded 16 victories in the 100 meters, four in the 200 and one at 400 meters, joined Michael Johnson as the only three-time winners of the award, given annually by USA Track and Field to the top U.S. male and female track and field athletes.

Montgomery, who set a world record of 9.78 seconds in the 100 meters Sept. 14, is a first-time winner.

Jones and Montgomery will receive replicas of the award Friday during USATF’s annual meetings in Kansas City.

In the women’s voting, Jones easily defeated runner-up Deena Drossin of Mammoth Lakes, the two-time U.S. 10,000-meter champion. Montgomery edged marathoner Khalid Khannouchi in a close vote among the men, a USATF official said.

“I tried to tell Tim a little bit about what the award means, and he understands,” Jones said during a conference call Tuesday from the couple’s training base in Raleigh, N.C. “Just to be mentioned in the same sentence with one of the greats of our sport is an honor.... I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Mr. Owens’ family, and this definitely ranks very high among the honors I’ve received.”

Although disappointed that she didn’t lower the personal-best 100-meter time of 10.65 seconds she set in 1998, Jones was proud to become the first U.S. athlete to go undefeated in a season since Johnson in 1995. After losing the 2001 world title in the 100 to Zhanna Pintusevich-Block of Ukraine, she had to prove she hadn’t lost her competitive edge.

“My confidence is built back up,” said Jones, who resumed long-jump training and plans to compete in the 100, 200 and long jump outdoors. “I didn’t run as fast as I wanted to but I was able to pull out some victories. 2002 was a huge confidence builder. Not that my confidence was knocked off, but it was jarred.”

Jones doesn’t plan to run indoors next season and will make her outdoor debut at the Mount San Antonio College Relays in Walnut, as usual.

Montgomery, however, said he might run a few indoor races. Told that former world-record holder Maurice Greene said he’d like to race Montgomery this winter, Montgomery laughed.

“He wants me to come indoors so he can get in my mind,” he said. “My strength is outdoors.... I know the world record is going to be broken again next year. I can see improvement from what I’ve done.”

Both resumed training Nov. 1 after taking a shared break. However, they’re not engaged.

“We’re very happy, and things are going great in our lives, and we’re looking forward to 2003,” Jones said.