updated 6:39 a.m. ET Aug. 28, 2004

ATHENS, Greece - For Marion Jones, Sydney must seem far more than half a world away.

Those Olympics were some dreamland where she ruled track and field with a golden touch and a sweet smile, winning five medals that turned her into an international superstar.

Four years later, Jones leaves Athens without a medal after a botched handoff in the 400-meter relay and a mediocre fifth-place long jump.

“It’s been a tough one,” she said afterward, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Americans Tim Mack and Toby Stevenson finished 1-2 in the pole vault Friday night, but their performance was overshadowed by Jones’ saga.

“Track,” Stevenson said, “is an unforgiving sport.”

With by far the fastest time in the world this year, Jones and the rest of the U.S. 400-meter relay team were an overwhelming favorite. The only question seemed to be whether the Americans would break the world record.

But Jones, running the second leg an hour after her last long jump, had trouble getting the handoff to Lauryn Williams, the 20-year-old silver medalist in the 100.

“I probably left a little too early,” Williams said.

Jones waved the baton; Williams tried to get it. But by the time the handoff was made, the two were far out of the exchange zone.

“It just wasn’t meant to be,” U.S. women’s coach Sue Humphrey said. “It’s a handoff we’ve been making all along.”

Jamaica won in 41.73 seconds. Russia won the silver medal in 42.27, and France got the bronze in 42.54.

“I just couldn’t get it to Laurie,” Jones said. “At the end of the 100, I was a little out of breath.”

As the race continued without them, Jones put her arm around Williams and the two walked slowly to the end of the track, Williams still clinging to the baton. LaTasha Colander, who never got the chance to run the anchor leg, joined them. Jones clutched Williams’ hand tightly as the two left the track after the race.

“It was an extremely disappointing performance for me. It exceeded my wildest dreams in a negative sense,” Jones said. “I looked for great things this year. It didn’t happen for me and it didn’t happen for the team this year.”

The United States had won gold in the relay every Olympics since 1984 — except for the 2000 Sydney Games, when handoff problems involving Jones and others resulted in a third-place finish.

Jones still won five medals in Sydney, including three golds. But she gave birth to a son 14 months ago, interrupting her training, and then came under investigation by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. She failed to qualify for the Olympic 100 or 200 this year, leaving the long jump and relay as her only events.

She has repeatedly denied using performance-enhancing substances, but ex-husband C.J. Hunter reportedly has told federal agents that Jones used banned drugs before, during and after the 2000 Games.

Jones had a chance for redemption Friday, starting with the long jump. But she got progressively worse with each leap.

She fouled on her first attempt and then jumped 22 feet, 5¾ inches on her second — which was delayed three minutes by the medal ceremony for the 50-kilometer walk.

On her third jump, Jones again had to wait. She paused for a heat of the 1,600-meter relay, which included Greece and the United States and got the crowd going. When she finally jumped, Jones took off well ahead of the line and landed 22-4½ away.

Before her fourth attempt, Jones slapped her thighs and told herself, “Come on baby, come on.” But she showed no improvement, jumping 22-1. She fouled on her fifth jump.

The victory ceremony for the men’s 200 came just as Jones was about to make her final attempt. She stood at attention during “The Star-Spangled Banner,” occasionally shaking her legs, then walked to the end of the runway. She swung her arms three times, sped toward the pit — and jumped 21-9.

Tatyana Lebedeva, who won a bronze in the triple jump four days earlier, led a Russian sweep of the long jump, leaping 23-2½ to take the gold. Irina Simagina was second at 23-1¾ and Tatyana Kotova won the bronze. It was the first long jump sweep in Olympic history.

As Lebedeva and her compatriots took a victory lap, Jones walked around the track in the opposite direction — toward the practice track, where her relay teammates awaited.

Bronwyn Thompson of Australia, who was fourth, said all the pressures on Jones seem to have changed the once-invincible champion: “She doesn’t seem to have the same aura as she used to. And she doesn’t exude the same sort of confidence as she used to.”

The pole vault provided the United States with some good news. Mack cleared an Olympic record 19 feet, 6¼ inches. Stevenson went 19-4¼, It was the second Olympics in a row that the United States had gone 1-2 in the event.

The three medals won Friday night pushed the U.S. total in track to 21, one more than it won four years ago.

In the 110-meter hurdles, Liu Xiang of China tied the world record and smashed the Olympic record by .04 seconds, winning in 12.91. American Terrence Trammell won silver for the second straight Olympics, finishing far behind Liu in 13.18, and defending champion Anier Garcia of Cuba took bronze in 13.20.

“This is a miracle,” Liu said. “I’m too tired to even cry. I never ran so fast. I am very proud, not just for myself and China, but for Asia and the yellow-skinned people. To come out and be perfect, I’m shocked.”

Track & field - Women's 4x100-meter Relay (medals: Aug. 27th) Medal Athlete Country Result Gold Lawrence, Simpson, Bailey, Campbell Jamaica 41.73 Silver Fyodorova, Tabakova, Khabarova, Kruglova Russia 42.27 Bronze Mang; Hurtis, Felix, Arron France 42.54 NBCO: Schedules, preliminary result and complete final results

Track & field - Women's Long Jump (medals: Aug. 27th) Medal Athlete Country Result Gold Tatyana Lebedeva Russia 23 feet, 2 1/2 inches Silver Irina Simagina Russia 23-1 3/4 Bronze Tatyana Kotova Russia 22-5 3/4 NBCO: Schedules, preliminary result and complete final results

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