Drechsler Claims Gold
Let's forget about Marion Jones and the "Drive for Five" for just a moment and focus on Heike Drechsler. The 35-year-old German star won the Olympic long jump title Friday, leaping 22-feet-11 1/4 inches. The victory -- over bronze medalist Jones and silver medalist Fiona May of Italy -- came half a lifetime after Drechsler won her first world championship at age 18. She nearly gave up on the 2000 Olympics after injuries forced her out of the 1999 world championships, but prevailed because she had missed two previous Olympics during her long career.

Hysong Wins Deadlocked Pole Vault
When the dust settled at the pole vault pit Friday, four athletes had cleared 19-feet-four inches. The surprise winner was Nick Hysong of the United States, who had reached the height with fewer misses than the rest of the field. American teammate Lawrence Johnson got the silver medal, and the bronze went to world champion Maksim Tarasov of Russia. Left out in the cold was Michael Stolle of Germany, who was denied a medal because he had the most misses of the four.

Edwards Finally Lands Gold
World record holder Jonathan Edwards of Britain finally owns Olympic gold in the triple jump. The 34-year-old Edwards has held the world mark since 1995, but has a history of problems in major events. Monday he leaped 58-feet, 1 1/4 inches to outdistance Cuba's Yoel Garcia and Russia's Denis Kapustin.

Dragila Wins Gold in Pole Vault's Debut
Stacy Dragila polished off the field in the first-ever women's pole vault competition. Then the American star took three unsuccessful shots at bettering her own world mark. She settled for establishing the Olympic standard at 15-feet, one inch. Tatiana Grigorieva of Australia was the silver medalist and Vala Flosadottir of Iceland grabbed the bronze.

Russia's Kliugin Wins High Jump
Rain and wind wreaked havoc at the high jump pit Sunday, but Russia's Sergey Kliugin overcame the elements to win the gold medal. Kliugin, jumping before the rain really began to come down, cleared 7-feet-8 inches to hold off former Olympic gold medalist Javier Sotomayor of Cuba, who jumped 7-feet-7. The bronze medal went to Abderrahmane Hammad of Algeria.

Bulgaria's Marinova Wins Triple Jump
The medalists really separated themselves from the rest of the field in the women's triple jump. Bulgaria's Tereza Marinova won with a leap of 49-feet-10 1/2 inches. Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia won the silver at 49-feet-2 1/2 inches, and the bronze went to Olena Hovorova of Ukraine at 49-feet-1 inch. The next closest jumper was more than two feet behind Hovorova.
About Jumping Events
Jumping events at the Sydney games are assured of one distinction -- with the addition of the women's pole vault, competition will be the same for men and women for the first time in Olympic history. The rest of the events have long Olympic histories. The long jump and triple jump go back to the ancient Greeks, and the pole vault is even older. And this handful of field events has produced a disproportionate share of thrills and disappointments over the years. Jesse Owens set an Olympic record in the long jump on his way to four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin games. Bob Beamon shattered the world record in the long jump by more than a foot in the thin air of Mexico City in 1968. And on the dark side of the agony-and-ecstasy coin, the greatest pole vaulter in history -- Sergei Bubka of Ukraine -- failed in his first three attempts at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Four years later, Bubka's world record still stands.
Cuba's Ivan Pedroso is the clear frontrunner in the long jump competition. Great Britain's Jonathan Edwards is the sentimental favorite in the triple-jump, but at 34 he's vulnerable to challengers like Charles Friedek of Germany. In the men's pole vault, Maksim Tarasov of Russia is a strong contender, while France's Jean Galfione will be competing after recovering from lung surgery earlier this year.

Marion Jones will take a break from the track to seek gold in the women's long jump, and there's a exciting duel brewing in the women's pole vault, with world record holder Stacey Dragila of the United States facing stiff competition from Australia's Emma George. Greece has two possible triple jump winners in Paraskevi Tsiamita, the reigning world champion, and Olga Vasdeki. The women's high jump figures to be a wide-open competition, with no particular favorite. Ukraine's Inga Babakova is the current world champion.