Ex-druggies win gold
John Mehaffey
Two eastern European women who have served doping suspensions won Olympic gold medals on Wednesday after women's world hammer champion Mihaela Melinte had been escorted from the arena for failing a drugs test.
Ellina Zvereva, 39, of Belarus became the oldest woman to win a track and field gold when she took the women's discus with a throw of 68.40 metres. Zvereva has served a 12-month suspension for taking steroids.
Olga Shishigina of Kazakhstan, who has served a two-year drugs ban, won the 100 metres hurdles in front of sentimental favourite Glory Alozie from Nigeria. The African champion's fiance was killed by a car in Sydney before the start of the Games.
In unprecedented scenes at an Olympic Games, Romanian Melinte was told she had also tested positive for nandrolone and was led away from the field.
International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) general secretary Istvan Gyulai said the world governing body had rejected Melinte's excuse that she had ingested the anabolic steroid from a food supplement. Hunter used the same defence at a news conference on Tuesday.
Jones, who hardly needs extra pressure in her pursuit of five gold medals, survived a day she described as the toughest on her schedule.
She came through the first two rounds of the 200 and needed only one effort in the long jump qualifying.
Jones, showing no outward signs of inner turmoil, said: "I have always said that today was the most difficult day for me, having two rounds of the 200 and the long jump in the evening."
The 24-year-old American won the 100 metres gold on Saturday and will also run in both the 4x100 and 4x400 metres relay at the weekend.
Germany's Nils Schumann won the race of the evening, powering ahead of a somewhat surprised world champion and record holder Wilson Kipketer of Denmark at the line in the men's 800 metres final.
Russian Irina Privalova, a bronze medallist over 100 metres at the 1992 Barcelona Games, capped a successful transition to the 400 hurdles this year by winning the Olympic title.
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