After breaking Marion Jones stranglehold in the 100-meter, Pintusevich-Block aims to prove victory was no fluke
rack championships, Zhanna Pintusevich-Block raised the index finger of her right hand 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.
The Ukrainian sprinter was crowned world champion Aug. 6, earning her title by finally defeating the seemingly unbeatable Jones.
On Aug. 8 the newly crowned world 100-meter champion Pintusevich-Block said that she aims to show that her stunning triumph over Marion Jones was no fluke.
“I definitely will face Marion again this season, and I want to run very good and prove it was not just an accident yesterday,” the sleepy-looking world champion told reporters.
Her first opportunity will likely be in Zurich in 10 days. But there will be others chances for Pintusevich-Block and Jones to confirm who is the year’s fastest women. There is Brussels and September’s Goodwill Games in Brisbane.
For the moment, the honor is Pintusevich-Block’s. Twice Aug. 6, first in the semifinals and again in the final at the world championships, the 29-year-old Ukrainian did something no other woman had accomplished in four years, defeat Jones.
For 42 consecutive finals the American had reigned.
Now three-time Olympic champion Jones, who will go for gold in the 200 meters and 4×100 meter relay here this week while Pintusevich-Block rests, will be the pursuer.
“I don’t think it will feel any different,” said Pintusevich-Block, who lives in Johnson City, Tennessee, with her husband, sports agent Mark Block. “You just have to go and do your job.”
For four years that job has been to defeat Jones.
The former European junior champion thought she had done that in the 1997 Athens world championships, and had started a victory lap. But when the scoreboard showed Jones had won by two-hundredths of a second, she slumped to the track in anguish.
Not even a victory in the 200 meters could salve the wound of the 100-meter defeat.
“It has haunted her since that day,” said her husband. “It was a nightmare. She talked about that all the time.
“It was her life dream to be the 100-meters champion. Of course, the Olympics are number one, but the world championships are the next thing.”
Because Jones improved so much the next year, Pintusevich-Block and other sprinters seemed to concede first place to her, Block said.
Ray of hope
Last fall, the couple decided that would change. Block, who had married Pintusevich in early 1999, became her coach in November 2000.
A revamped start and acceleration phase would be necessary, Block decided, even bringing starting blocks into their living room for extra work.
A ray of hope blossomed this spring when Jones did not run as fast as she had in previous years.
“Zhanna said, ‘You know, maybe Marion is beatable’,” Block recalled.
Pintusevich-Block arrived at the semifinals Aug. 6 still possessing that feeling.
“I wanted to send her a message before the final that I could beat her,” Pintusevich-Block said. “The semifinal was more psychological than physical.”
Added her husband: “She was crying between the semifinal and final. “She said, ‘Calm me down, calm me down. I know I am so close to achieving my dream’.”
This time the race was hers from the start. It was obvious almost instantly that Pintusevich-Block had won.
Yet, instead of racing off on a victory lap as she had done in Athens, she fell to the track in disbelief, and waited for confirmation from the official results.
She ran the 100 meters in 10.82 seconds to edge Jones – the two-time defending champion – by three-hundredths of a second. Ekaterini Thanou of Greece won the bronze medal.
“I took a little time this time to know I had really won,” she said. “It was so emotional. It was like you had won a million dollars in the lottery.
“The dream finally came true.”
