The Summer Olympics: Marion Jones

There are many obstacles to winning a gold medal--and here are some of the biggest. At the pool, it's the astounding Aussie Ian Thorpe. In wrestling, Russia's Alex Karelin has never lost a match. The

Marion Jones, one of the world's loveliest women and demonstrably the fastest, is sitting before a mirror having makeup applied--a superfluous act. She is being prepped for the first of two shoots she will submit to this afternoon. Hotshot photogs have been flown in from the States because Jones has agreed to give them some of her time--and time is precious in the world of Marion Jones. Every minute between now and Sept. 22 has been carefully planned.

On that Friday, at 10 a.m., the timing will become even more precise. The starter gun's first bark will launch Jones on a...

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