Courtesy: USATF

A Team USA sweep of the women's 100m hurdles and a win by Marion Jones (pictured) in the 100m provided both redemption and glory during the opening night of Goodwill Games track and field competition at ANZ stadium.

Gail Devers (12.61), Jenny Adams (12.87) and Anjanette Kirkland (12.92) went 1-2-3 in the hurdles to provide the sweep that eluded them at the 2001 World Championships, where Kirkland was first, Devers second and Adams fifth.

The race also supplied redemption for Devers, the 2000 Olympic favorite who pulled up in her semifinal race in Sydney with a hamstring injury. "The last time I was in Australia, things didn't go as well as I wanted," Devers said. "So I wanted to show the fans how much I appreciate their love and support. I'm happy. More important, I'm happy with the U.S. team coming around and sweeping."

Kirkland came third despite suffering from stiffness in her neck and upper back, while Adams overcame a spill in practice two days ago that nearly knocked her out of the meet. "I am really pumped," said Adams, who competed with severe scrapes and running from her shoulder down to her ankle, a sore heel, a sprained right wrist, as a very sore left gluteus as a result of her fall. "I didn't know if I could run today or not. But I said, this is the last race of the year, and I'm just going to gut it out. I really wanted us to come 1-2-3 at the Worlds. I was sad that I wasn't the one to do that. It's really fun to come through this time and be on a powerful team."

False starts by the three favorites provided drama before the race got off, essentially leveling the field. World Indoor 60m champion Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas first false started, followed by World champion Zhanna Pintusevich-Block of Ukraine and Olympic champion Marion Jones. Jones was somewhat sluggish out of the blocks with the race did get off, trailing Sturrup, but she came on very strong to win in 10.84 seconds, avenging her defeat to Pintusevich-Block at the World Championships and setting a Goodwill Games record. Pintusevich-Block was second at 11.01, and Sturrup was third in 11.04. Americans Chryste Gaines (11.14) and Inger Miller (11.37) were fourth at seventh, respectively.

"I thought I had an OK start," Jones said. "Obviously, if I didn't have the false start, I may have gambled a bit more, but I felt good about my race overall. I just stayed relaxed. I felt powerful, very powerful."

Jones also felt happy, very happy, that her season had come to a close. "I just feel really good. I'm glad the season is done for me. When I get back to the hotel, there's going to be a banana split waiting for me," said Jones, who doesn't eat ice cream during her competitive season.

Derek Mills earned his first individual medal in a first major international championship with his third-place finish in the 400m. Mills ran strong through the middle stages of the race and moved up for third in 45.56, behind winner Gregory Haughton of Jamaica in 45.02 and second-place finisher Avard Moncur of the Bahamas in 45.31.

"I'm very excited, and also very tired," Mills said. "I just got in yesterday. My knee was a little swollen today ... but this is my last meet. The season is over!"

Team USA veteran and 1999 Goodwill Games bronze medalist LaMark Carter won bronze in the men's triple jump with a mark of 16.83m/55-2.75. Olympic and World champion Jonathan Edwards of Great Britain won the event at 17.26m/56-7.5, with Christian Olsson of Sweden second at 16.85/55-3.5. "It feels good again," Carter said. "I feel a lot better than I did at Worlds - I'm a lot fresher. I didn't jump as far as I would have liked, but hopefully I'll put it together in Japan (at Yokahama)."

Elizabeth Jackson broke her own American record in finishing fourth in the women's 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 9:41.94, beating her previous time of 9:43.36, set on July 9. In fact, July 9 was the last time Jackson raced, making her performance even more pleasing to the NCAA champion whose competitive season reaches back to last fall's cross country campaign. "I really wasn't expecting a PR," said Jackson, who has completed her NCAA eligibility and will graduate from Brigham Young in December. "I had no idea how I would feel, because I basically peaked two months ago. It was really fun being out here."

Part of the fun came in running a race won by Melissa Rollison of Australia, who thrilled the loud ANZ Stadium crowd with a nearly 9-second win in 9:30.70, a world junior record.

DeDee Nathan finished the first day of the heptathlon in third place with 3715 points, turning in performances of 13.50 in the 100m hurdles (1050 points), 1.74m/5-8.5 in the high jump (903 pts), 14.59m/47-10.5 in the shot put (833), and 24.54 in the 200m (929 pts). Natalya Sazanovich of Belarus led the field with 3822 points.

In other events, Jearl Miles-Clark (51.44) and Michelle Collins (51.85) were fourth and sixth, respectively, in the women's 400m, Kim Kreiner was fifth in the women's javelin (53.08m/174- 2), Calvin Davis placed 6th in the 400m hurdles (50.14), Dawn Ellerbe finished seventh in the women's hammer throw with a mark of 61.51m/201-9, Curt Clausen was eight in the 20k race walk in 1:29:03.6.

Winning those events were Ana Guevara of Mexico in the women's 400 (50.32), Osleidys Menedez of Cuba in the women's javelin (66.14m/217-0), Olympic Champion Felix Sanchez in the men's 400m hurdles (48.47) Kamil Skolimowska of Poland in the women's hammer (70.31/230-8) and Nathan Deakes of Australia in the Walk (1:19:48.1, GWG Record).

Olympic champion Angelo Taylor did not compete in the 400m hurdles after being stricken with the same sinus problems that befell at the World Championships last month in Edmonton. A trip to the hospital after arriving in Brisbane did not clear Taylor of his symptoms. His status for Yokahama has not been determined.

Competition continues Wednesday with the men's finals in the discus, 800m, 110m hurdles, 100m and 3,000m steeplechase. Women's finals are in the 400m hurdles, pole vault, shot put, 800m, 200m, and heptathlon.