White Wins, but She Isn’t the Marion Kind

Even if the women sprinters here for track and field’s world championships have tried to put Marion Jones out of their minds, it’s not possible. Jones, out of competition because of the birth of a son in June, is serving here as a television commentator and was interviewed at one point Sunday on the Stade de France scoreboard screen.

“The ladies are the show, obviously,” she said of the 100-meter final scheduled for later in the evening, “and I can’t wait to see them in a few hours.”

As it turned out, she was wrong. The show was in the quarterfinals of the men’s 100, which were in chaos for 47 minutes because of U.S. sprinter Jon Drummond’s demonstrative protest after he was disqualified for a fast start.

But order finally was restored, and the women’s 100 started almost on schedule, even if U.S. champion Kelli White of Union City, Calif., started more slowly than most of her competitors.

“It does feel kind of scary when I get off the blocks slow,” she said. “It’s such a strong field, you can’t catch everybody.”

But she did just that, finally reeling in U.S. teammate Torri Edwards of Los Angeles and winning in the year’s best time, 10.85 seconds. Edwards, formerly of USC, was second in a personal-best 10.93. Defending champion Zhanna Block of Ukraine, who upset Jones in the 2001 world championships, was third in 10.99. The third American in the final, Gail Devers, finished eighth in 11.11.

White, 26, is only 18 months younger than Jones, but the former Tennessee sprinter didn’t emerge internationally until two years ago and so is not presuming she’ll still be No. 1 when Jones returns.

“It takes years to be an athlete like [Jones],” White said. “I think I have years to go. This is my first [dominating] season. I have a lot to learn.”

Edwards, 26, thought she might hold off White.

“I got that great start and I said, ‘OK, let’s do it,’ ” she said.

She couldn’t quite. Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie knows how she feels. He’s a four-time world champion in the 10,000 meters, but he’s 30. He led for much of the race Sunday night over his young teammate, Kenenisa Bekele, but when they entered the final stretch, Bekele, 22, was much too strong for Gebrselassie.

Bekele won in 26:49.57 to runner-up Gebrselassie’s 26:50.77. Another Ethiopian, Sileshi Sihine, finished third in 27:01.44. Despite the loss, Gebrselassie said he was encouraged enough to try again in the 10,000 in the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Sweden’s Carolina Kluft won the heptathlon with 7,001 points, the first woman to surpass 7,000 since Jackie Joyner-Kersee in 1992. Second with 6,755 was France’s Eunice Barber, who is coached by Joyner-Kersee’s husband, Bob Kersee.

Today’s highlight should be the men’s 100 semifinals and final.

Three Americans -- world-record holder Tim Montgomery, defending champion Maurice Greene and Bernard Williams -- advanced out of the quarterfinals. One, Drummond, didn’t because of his controversial false start, one of five in the men’s competition Sunday.

The women had no false starts.

“I guess women are more in control,” White said.

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At a Glance

A look at what happened Sunday on the second day of the track and field world championships:

*--* * WINNERS: Men’s 10,000 meters: Kenenisa Bekele led an Ethiopian sweep of the top three spots. Women’s 100: Kelli White in a season-best 10.85 seconds. Heptathlon: Sweden’s Carolina Kluft, third person to break 7,000-point barrier. Women’s 20K walk: Yelena Nikolayeva, Russia * OTHER HIGHLIGHTS: Chaos ensues in the men’s 100-meter heats when Jon Drummond refuses to leave the track after being disqualified for a false start. Darrel Brown, an 18-year-old from Trinidad & Tobago, sets a junior world record of 10.01 in 100 * SURPRISES: Kenyans shut out of medals in the 10,000 meters for the first time at worlds since 1983; Gail Devers finishes last in the 100-meter final * TODAY’S FINALS: men’s hammer, women’s pole vault, men’s high jump, men’s triple jump, women’s discus, men’s 100 * ON TV: Tuesday -- 11 a.m., ESPN2; Wednesday -- 11:30 a.m., ESPN2; Thursday -- 11:30 a.m., ESPN2; Aug. 29 -- 11:30 a.m.; ESPN2; Aug. 31 -- 9:30 a.m., Channel 7

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