Jones to skip Prefontaine Classic

EUGENE, Ore. – Marion Jones doesn’t plan to run in Eugene this weekend after all.

The embattled track star announced in Milan, Italy, this past week that she would compete at the Prefontaine Classic Saturday at Hayward Field.

But organizer Tom Jordan said Thursday afternoon that Jones would not run in the event, part of USA Track & Field’s 2005 Outdoor Visa Championship Series.

Jones finished second to Chandra Sturrup in the 100 meters Wednesday at the Grand Prix Regione Lombardia meeting. Sturrup, who is from the Bahamas, also beat Jones on Sunday at the FBK Games in Hengelo, Netherlands.

In Milan, Jones said she was planning to compete in the Prefontaine before entering the U.S. Championships, which begin June 23.

“I’ll run the 100 on Saturday, then I’ll see how I run there and decide if I need to go home and train or do one more meet,” she said.

The comments fueled speculation she’d run in the event, but Jordan said he had since been informed she would not.