SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A pair of seconds ended up providing a first for Utah's Tiffany Lott-Hogan.
Four years after a fourth-place finish in the women's heptathlon at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials cost her a trip to the Sydney Summer Games, Lott-Hogan made the best of a second chance and finished second Saturday in the same competition at the 2004 U.S. Trials to earn her first trip to the Olympics.
Marion Jones failed to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team in the 100 meters, losing out on a chance to defend her gold medal in her signature event at the Athens Games.
Jones started quickly but seemed to struggle as the race progressed and finished fifth in the final at the U.S. Olympic trials. The top three finishers automatically make the team.
Lott-Hogan, a 29-year-old former BYU standout and current assistant Cougar coach, tallied 6,159 points in the seven events, just behind winner Shelia Burrell (6,194) and just ahead of third-place Michelle Perry (6,126). Only the top three finishers qualified for the 2004 Athens Games.
And qualifying for Athens is sweet redemption for Lott-Hogan, who suffered heartbreak at the 2000 U.S. Trials at the same Spanos Sports Complex site in Sacramento. Lott-Hogan had finished the first day in third place and remained there until faltering in the final event — the 800-meter run, her admitted nemesis — and finishing one spot away from qualifying for Sydney.
Fast forward to Saturday, where Lott-Hogan started the day off in first place with 3,686 points after Friday's first four events. She led Hyleas Fountain (3,659) and Perry (3,634), with the three-time national champion and event favorite Burrell way back in seventh at 2,635.
Lott-Hogan still led after Saturday's first two events, placing eighth in the long jump at 19 feet 7 inches and taking the javelin with a first-place throw of 165 feet 1 inches. The winning throw was the first of her three — she faulted on the final two.
Then came the 800, where she finished in 2 minutes 24.27 seconds — 17th out of the 22 participants. But her performances and points in the previous six heptathlon events were enough for the solid second-place finish overall.
In Friday's events, she finished second in the 100 meters (13.10 seconds), tied for 11th in the high jump (5 feet, 6.5 feet), first in the shot put (46-6) and fifth in the 200 meters (24.53).
After her disappointment in 2000, Lott-Hogan took a couple of years off to have a child in 2001 with her husband, Brent, and then geared back up with an eye on the 2004 Athens Games. The two-time NCAA heptathlon champion won the 2003 Pan American Games gold medal as a tune-up for her 2004 run.
As for other Utahns competing at Saturday's Trials, former Utah State thrower James Parker easily qualified for Monday's hammer finals with a throw of 240 feet, 3 inches — or 73.24 meters. While it was the second-best distance of the day, Parker automatically qualified for the finals by passing the 72-meter mark.
Also, BYU high jumper Lindsey Metcalf advanced to Monday's finals by tying for 11th with a jump of 5-11.5. The top 12 were to qualify for the finals, but Metcalf and the other two women who tied with her for 11th place also advanced for a total of 13 finalists.
Jones, who won five medals at the 2000 Sydney Games, still can make the Olympic team if she qualifies in the 200 meters or long jump. Or she could be picked for a relay team.
The defeat comes at a difficult time for perhaps the biggest U.S. Olympic star. She is under investigation by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, although she has repeatedly denied using drugs and has not been charged by USADA.
The 28-year-old Jones, who seemed a little stunned in the last few strides of the race as she realized she was not going to qualify, walked off the track smiling and even signed a couple of autographs for fans. But she walked quickly past a horde of reporters.
Jones, known for her bubbly personality and media savvy, was escorted by a personal bodyguard as she stormed off the track without answering questions.
"When I talk, you guys have something negative to say. When I don't talk, you have something negative to say," she said. "I'd rather not talk and spend the time with my son."
Jones has a 1-year-old son with Tim Montgomery, the world record holder in the men's 100.
LaTasha Colander won the final in 10.97 seconds, tied for second fastest in the world this year. World champion Torri Edwards was second in 11.02 and NCAA champion Lauryn Williams took the third Olympic spot in 11.10.
Gail Devers, a two-time Olympic champion in the 100, was fourth in 11.11, followed by Jones in 11.14.
Jones once dominated the 100. In addition to being the reigning Olympic champion, she is a former two-time world champion and had a streak of 42 straight wins in finals from 1997 to 2001.
Jones' boyfriend, Montgomery, advanced to the semifinals of the men's 100 by finishing fourth in his quarterfinal heat with a time of 10.16 seconds.
Montgomery has been charged with steroid use by USADA and faces a lifetime ban if found guilty.
Even if he makes the U.S. team, he still must await a ruling in his case by the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport. If the CAS rules against him, Montgomery would be barred from the Athens Games.
The fastest time in the men's 100 quarterfinals was 10.00 by Shawn Crawford, followed by John Capel in 10.01. Third fastest was reigning Olympic champ Maurice Greene (10.06), who is back in top form after two years of lackluster results.
Greene used to hold the world record of 9.79 until Montgomery broke that by a hundredth of a second in 2002. If Montgomery is found guilty of doping, he likely will forfeit the world record and it will revert to Greene.
Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson won the shot put with a mark of 71 feet, and was joined on the U.S. squad by Reese Hoffa and John Godina. Godina will be competing in his third Olympics — he won silver in 1996 and bronze in 2000.
Christian Cantwell, who has the four longest throws in the world this season, finished fourth and failed to qualify for the Olympics. He fouled on five of his six attempts.
Chryste Gaines, who along with Montgomery is among the four sprinters charged with steroid use by USADA, finished fifth in her 100 semifinal and did not qualify for the final.