Ukranian Jew becomes fastest woman in the world

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Jerusalem Post August 8, 2001

Ukrainian Jew becomes fastest woman in world

By Aryeh Dean Cohen and News Agencies

JERUSALEM (August 8) - The old joke about Jewish Sports Heroes being one of the shortest books on the shelf took another hit yesterday, courtesy of Ukrainian Jewish runner Zhanna Pintusevich-Block. She became the fastest woman in the world by upsetting American Marion Jones in the finals of the 100-meter race at the World Athletics Championships in Edmonton, Canada.

Coming hard on the heels of the recent displays by swimmer Lenny Krayzelberg, who visited Israel recently as part of the US Maccabiah team, Pintusevich-Block - who currently lives in the United States - added yet another name to the growing list of Jewish athletes turning in record-setting performances on world athletic stages.

"Anytime Marion Jones loses a 100-meter final, it's huge. When she gets beaten by a Jewish runner, it's time to change the textbooks," said former Jerusalem Post sports editor Joe Hoffman.

"Her feat puts her right up there with Polish Jewish sprinter Irina Kirszenstein-Szewinska's seven Olympic medals from 1964-76 and Esther Roth, the first Israeli to reach an Olympic final [in Montreal in 1976]."

Pintusevich-Block's victory gave her two triumphs over Jones within two hours. She defeated her in the 100-meter semifinals, raising her right index finger in triumph.

When she repeated the feat less than two hours later, becoming the first woman since 1997 to defeat Jones in a 100 final, Pintusevich-Block thrust both arms toward the sky in celebration.

She thought she had won the 1997 world title in Athens, and had begun a victory lap when she slumped to the track as the scoreboard showed Jones had won by two-hundredths of a second. This time, she slumped to the track in joy after running 10.82 seconds to edge Jones - the two-time defending champion - by three-hundredths of a second.

"I'm so happy, I still can't believe it. I'll need some time to believe I won," she said. "I still remember '97. Finally, my dream came true."

She held a slim lead throughout the first half of the race. Jones appeared to catch up with about 20 meters left, but Pintusevich-Block edged ahead again just before the finish line.

In other action, women's pole vaulter Stacy Dragila won gold at the World Championships only because she had one fewer miss than Svetlana Feofanova of Russia. Both women cleared 15 feet, 7 inches, and missed three times at the world-record height of 15-91/2.

Dragila has dominated the event since it became a part of major track and field championships in the late 1990s.

"We're both No. 1 today," Dragila said after sprinting down the runway to embrace Feofanova after the Russian's final miss.

"This is awesome."

Christopher Williams of Jamaica had the fastest time of 20.25 in the opening round of the men's 200 meters yesterday morning, an event deprived of its top two stars when defending champion Maurice Greene and 1997 world champion Ato Boldon pulled out in recent days because of injuries.

Kevin Little of the United States was second fastest in 20.36.

Also advancing to the second round were US teammates Ramon Clay (20.43) and Shawn Crawford (20.60).

Also yesterday, a Canadian sprinter was kicked out of the world championships after testing positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol last week.

Athletics Canada said Venolyn Clarke, the national champion at 100 meters, faces a four-year ban from competition. She was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 100 meters on Sunday, and had been expected to run on Canada's 400-meter relay team this weekend.

Stanozolol is the same drug that cost Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson his gold medal and world record in the 100 meters at the 1988 Olympics.

USA Track & Field announced yesterday that Marion Jones is part of the pool for the women's 400-meter relay. Her participation was unclear because she did not attend a US relay camp in Monte Carlo in July.

Other winners were Avard Moncur of the Bahamas, who won the men's 400 meters in 44.64; Osleidys Menendez of Cuba in the women's javelin; and Jonathan Edwards in the triple jump.

A day after winning his third straight world title in the men's 100, Greene withdrew from the rest of the meet because of a strained left thigh that hobbled him at the end of his winning run Sunday night.

Greene, who announced Sunday night he would not be able to defend his title in the 200, said Monday he also was withdrawing from the 400-meter relay because "I don't want to damage the team."

Greene, who anchored the US relay team to victory at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, will return to Los Angeles for rehabilitation of the leg.

US champion Regina Jacobs withdrew from the women's 800 because of a right foot injury and returned home to Oakland, Calif., and Boldon pulled out of the men's 200. He complained of back pain following the 100 final on Sunday.

John Godina failed in his bid for an unprecedented sweep of the world titles in the shot put and discus. Two days after getting gold in the shot put, Godina managed just 21st place in discus qualifying and failed to advance to the finals.



-- (Paracelsus@Pb.Au), August 08, 2001


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