Jones ignores critics

By Compiled from Times wires

SYDNEY, Australia -- The first lady of the Games is tired of the down time and the endless chatter. After all the buildup, Marion Jones wants nothing more than to step onto the track.

Jones made her first public comments in Sydney on Saturday after having spent two days away from the limelight training in Melbourne.

"I'd just love for it to get started," said Jones, who begins her chase of five gold medals Friday in the 100 meters. "I want to get started with the whole kit and caboodle."

In the Sydney hype, Jones has been the marquee athlete, appearing on the covers of several major American and international magazines. Her angling to become the first women to capture five golds at one Olympics is the story. Jones mingled with athletes in the village Friday night, later marching with the U.S. team in the Opening Ceremonies.

"It was an overwhelming experience," she said. "Getting to pose with Alonzo Mourning, Venus and Serena (Williams) -- it was simply incredible."

The focus at the Games, though, is surely to be on Jones and not the Dream Teamers and big-money tennis pros. Nor is anyone else undertaking such a heavy workload, and that lends to the drama of whether the 24-year-old North Carolina graduate can physically stand up to the challenge.

At last summer's World Championships, Jones won the 100 and took third in the long jump before going down in the 200. Here, she's taken on all that, plus the 400- and 1,600-meter relays over eight days.

"I'm in the best shape of my life," Jones said. "I'm not worried about fatigue. Mentally, I'm going to be interested in getting to the last day (the relays) and seeing where it takes me."

Despite critics, including Carl Lewis, who say she's taking on too much, Jones has an air of confidence, even if her long jump is a tad shaky. She appears just short of unbeatable in the sprints, not having lost a race since the close of the 1997 season.

"If I put together the races I'm capable of, I don't think anyone can beat me," she said. "I'm confident. I'm 24, and I'm on top of my game.

"If someone is ready to run 10.5 (in the 100), let's go out there and race. I'm ready to run very fast ... but I'm not here to say I'm Superwoman."