Jones, Greene Ready to Make News

SEVILLE, Spain —  Marion Jones and Maurice Greene are ready to run at the World Championships, where drug cases and positive tests continue to tarnish the landscape.

The championships begin today at 60,000-seat Olympic Stadium, with Jones and Greene, the world’s No. 1 sprinters, competing in the first two rounds of the 100 meters.

Interfering with the excitement of their appearances is the grave concern over the sudden rash of doping cases, some involving the sport’s biggest stars--Merlene Ottey, Javier Sotomayor, Linford Christie and Dennis Mitchell. The latest case, of 200-meter runner Troy Douglas of the Netherlands, was disclosed Friday.

“Over the last couple of weeks, our beautiful and lovely sport has been marred by all of this,” said Jones, who will be seeking an unprecedented four gold medals at the championships.

Greene, aiming for three golds, also has been dismayed by the crushing drug revelations and thinks blood testing might be the solution to slow the onslaught.

“I can’t wait until that time comes,” he said. “The number of positive tests have been very bad for our sport.”

Spectators today, meanwhile, will be eagerly awaiting the time when the two mercurial sprinters appear on the track, taking the focus from the off-track activities and centering it on the competition.

Jones and Greene already have turned in sensational performances this year.

Jones, the defending champion in the 100, has the season’s two fastest times, running 10.80 seconds twice. She owns the five fastest times and eight of the best nine in the 200, topped by 21.81. Jones also has run the 400 once, in a respectable 50.79, and has long-jumped 23 feet, fourth best in the world.

Of the four events in which she will compete--the 100, 200, long jump and a relay--the long jump concerns her most.

Jones’ long jump hopes were boosted Friday when two-time world champion Heike Drechsler of Germany withdrew with a calf injury. Drechsler was the only athlete to beat Jones in any event last year, and also outjumped her last month in Linz, Austria.

While Jones is a prohibitive favorite in both sprints, Greene, also running both dashes and a relay, is favored only to defend his title in the 100. He shattered the world record in June with a stunning time of 9.79, and he has run 9.85, the second-best time in the world.

In the 200, his best time of 19.92 is tied for fourth fastest. However, of the three runners ahead of him--Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago, Frankie Fredericks of Namibia and John Capel of the United States--only Fredericks is competing at the championships.

WORLD TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

* Where: Seville, Spain. * When: Today-Aug. 29

* TV: Sunday, Ch. 4; Monday-Friday, TBS; Aug. 28-29, Ch. 4