Bronze medal ends Jones's bid for five golds

Marion Jones failed to get her giant leap forward today and a bronze medal in the long jump has ended her quest for five track golds.

In her weakest event by far, she never got close to gold and ended in third place. Veteran 1992 Olympic champion Heike Drechsler won with a jump of 6.99 meters.

"I'm disappointed to say the least," Jones said afterward. "I don't regret at all saying I was going to go for five. I had a shot, and it just didn't pan out."

Drechsler won her first world title in 1983 for the former East Germany. Against a field of expert jumpers, Jones' lack of technique was always evident and it the end it proved too much. She and Fiona May both finished at 6.92, but the Italian had a better second-best jump. "You've got to applaud Heike - she was the best long jumper today," Jones said.

But Jones' five golds were in danger before the long jump. She watched from the pit as the US women's 400-meter relay team, which she will anchor in Saturday's final, finished second to the Bahamas in its semifinal, but edged two other nations by the smallest of margins.

The American squad lost two of its fastest runners earlier in the day when Gail Devers and Inger Miller withdrew because of hamstring injuries. Jones, overwhelming during her 100 and 200 gold medal runs, had been hoping to make it a perfect five on Saturday with the 400 and 1,600 relays.