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Hunter May Miss Out On Sydney; Jones Set To Go

© Susan Wessling

C.J. Hunter, the reigning world champion in the shot put, may not have the opportunity to make his Olympic dream come true. Hunter underwent knee surgery on Sept. 3 and he says he is now evaluating his ability to compete at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, according to the USA Track and Field Association.

Hunter injured his left knee training in August. The injury occurred during a weight training session while Hunter was readying for the IAAF Grand Prix meet Aug. 5 in London. Hunter suffered a tear in the meniscus of his left knee.

Unaware of the seriousness of the problem when the injury originally occurred, Hunter, who has tendonitis in that knee, competed and trained for several more weeks before he realized the problem was not simply a reoccurrence of tendonitis.

Hunter competed at the IAAF Golden League meet Aug. 25 in Brussels, but his pain became severe and he passed on his last several throws.

The reigning world shot put champion underwent an MRI in Berlin and then scheduled the September surgery. The operation was performed at an outpatient facility of the University of North Carolina's Medical Center by Dr. Tim Taft. Hunter, and his wife Marion Jones, are residents of North Carolina.

Hunter said he has set a goal of getting himself ready to take part in the Olympics. He said his doctor shared this goal. " I still hope to be throwing on the 22nd," Hunter said, referring to the Olympic competition.

According to USA Track and Field, if Hunter is unable to compete, he will be replaced on the shot put roster by John Godina, the 1996 silver medalist. Godina took fourth in the shot put at the U.S. Olympic Trials, where Hunter was second. Godina is already scheduled to compete in the discus at the 2000 Olympic Games.

While Hunter's Olympic future for Sydney is a question mark, his wife is on schedule to bring home a pile of Olympic hardware. Jones, a sprinter and long jumper, has said she wants to win five gold medals. She appears ready to do so.

Jones blew away the competition in the 100 meters at the IAAF Golden League meet in Berlin on Sept. 1. Her winning time was 10.78, which equals her own best time in the world this season, which she set in London on Aug. 5.

Jones will compete in the 100, 200 and long jump at the Olympics. She also will be part of the USA 4 by 100 and 4 by 400 relays.