JONES Beats Pintusevich-Block Again

Tuesday, September 4th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) _ Marion Jones ended her season the way she wanted _ with a victory in the 100 meters. But she failed to meet another goal, running the fastest time of the year.

Still, she beat world champion Zhanna Pintusevich-Block for the third straight time since losing to the Ukrainian at last month's world championships.

Starting cautiously after being called for a false start, Jones accelerated near the 30-meter mark and went on to win the Goodwill Games 100 title in 10.84 seconds Tuesday night.

In the highly anticipated confrontation between the 1-2 finishers at the worlds, Pintusevich-Block got out quickly and led early.

Then, Jones accelerated and pulled away for a 2 1/2-meter victory as Pintusevich-Block finished second at 11.01.

``I had to make sure to sit, sit, sit,'' Jones said about the start. ``She (Pintusevich-Block) had a great start. But I felt powerful.''

Her power and her long legs carried her over the second half of the race against the shorter Pintusevich-Block.

``I wanted to run the fastest time in the world, better than my 10.82,'' Jones said. ``I thought I had a shot at it. Perhaps if I didn't have to sit so long, I might have done it.''

Pintusevich-Block also was called for a false start and she was ``nervous'' for the restart. But she didn't show it.

``I got out well,'' she said, ``but I lost it at 30 meters. I made a little technical mistake. It's the end of the season. I'm tired. The World Championships took a lot out of me.''

After the race, Jones pumped her right arm several times before Pintusevich-Block congratulated her by throwing her right arm around her shoulder and kissing her on the left cheek.

Two-time world 100-meter hurdles champion Gail Devers led a 1-2-3 U.S sweep, going to the front immediately and winning in 12.61.

``I'm 35, but I'm telling people I'm 19,'' Devers said, laughing. ``I feel like a grandma because the others are telling me how old I am.''

An injured Jenny Adams, competing despite a badly bruised fall recently, finished second at 12.87 and world indoor and outdoor champion Anjanette Kirkland was third at 12.92.

``To see Americans cross the finish line 1-2-3 says something about hurdling in the United States,'' Devers said.

Despite her age, Devers said she has no intention of retiring.

``I don't think I've been this motivated to run since 1991 or 1992,'' the American record-holder said. ``I don't feel I've reached my potential yet.''

Olga Yegorova of Russia, the world 5,000-meter champion, won her fourth consecutive race since the worlds, surging over the final 80 meters to finish in 15:12.22 _ more than 40 seconds slower than in her previous victory.

Yegorova appeared to be toying with the field before sweeping past Ethiopia's Berhane Adere down the stretch.

After the world championships, Yegorova had threatened to take legal action against Romania's Gabriele Szabo, but said Tuesday night she would not pursue the matter. The Russian federation still is considering action, however, Yegorova said.

Szabo had threatened not to compete in the worlds if Yegorova was allowed to run after testing positive for the endurance-enhancing hormone EPO at a meet in Paris in July. After the Paris meet, the IAAF banned Yegorova, but then reinstated her just before the championships.

She said she has been drug tested twice since the championships without any positive results.

On Tuesday night, Yegorova encountered another problem. Halfway through her victory lap she was stopped by someone on the track who she could not identify. She did not know the reason for that action.

Britain's Jonathan Edwards, the Olympic and world champion in the men's triple jump, won with a leap of 56 feet, 7 1/2 inches.

Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic, the world champion in the men's 400 hurdles, took advantage of the absence of Olympic champion Angelo Taylor, out with a bad sinus condition, and won in 48.47.

Jamaica's Greg Haughton, the Olympic bronze medalist in the men's 400, charged down the stretch to beat world champion Avard Moncur of the Bahamas in 45.02. Moncur was second in 45.31.

The women's 400 world champion, Amy Thiam of Senegal also lost, finishing third in 51.25, behind Ana Guevera of Mexico (50.32) and Lorraine Fenton of Jamaica (50.76).

In other finals, world champion Osleidys Menendez of Cuba won the women's javelin at 217-0; Australia's Melissa Rollison took the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:30.70, as fourth-place finisher Elizabeth Jackson set an American record of 9:41.94; Australia's Nathan Deakes won the men's 20k walk in a Goodwill Games' record 1:19:49, beating Olympic champion Robert Korzniowski of Poland by three seconds, and Olympic gold medalist Kamila Skolimowska of Poland won the women's hammer throw at 230-8.