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| | Sunday, 15 September, 2002, 12:51 GMT 13:51 UK Montgomery thanks 'guardian angel'  Jones and Montgomery: We'll always have Paris Tim Montgomery paid tribute to girlfriend and training partner Marion Jones after achieving his dream of breaking the 100m world record. The world's fastest couple stood side by side on the podium at the IAAF Grand Prix final in Paris after collecting their trophies for winning the overall titles.
Jones won the women's 100m race in 10.88, but it was Montgomery who stole the headlines after lowering Maurice Greene's time of 9.79 seconds by one hundredth of a second. "I thought 'Marion's done her bit now I'm going to go one better'," he said after posting 9.78. "She's like my guardian angel. Being around Marion, I asked her if there's anything I need to change. "What I got was, 'Focus on you and what you've got to work on. They know you've got it. They know you're ready. You don't have to tell them you're ready'." The pair have trained together under the guidance of coach Trevor Graham for the past three years. The 27-year-old Montgomery now shares a house in North Carolina with Jones, who split with husband and former shot put champion CJ hunter last year. "Tim is so dedicated and likes to stay up for hours after a meeting going through a race analysing it because, like me, he is a total technician," she said. "I see him put in the time. I see him dissect his race over and over and over. All of a sudden everybody is really surprised when he has been around all along.
"He's overlooked so much. You always hear about Maurice and Dwain Chambers." Montgomery had gone on record as saying he was capable of erasing Greene from the record books, but he was surprised it happened so late in the season. "World records always happen when you expect them the least," he said. "I knew I was in great shape and today everything was just perfect. The wind was perfect, my reaction time was almost perfect (0.104), but that is what you need to break world records. "I knew the race would be fast. I just wanted to get there and run. I had no time objective, I just wanted to beat Chambers. "I knew all along I could break it. I ran six times under 10 seconds in '97 and I am telling you right now I trained three times a week. "However, I don't expect the record to stay for ever and it could well disappear next year and it might not be me who lowers it." Traumatised Almost overlooked was Britain's Dwain Chambers equalling Linford Christie's European record of 9.87, but the 24-year-old took little comfort from a new personal best. "I am disappointed I didn't win," he said. "Times are somehow irrelevant to me, what I want is to win races. "I don't like finishing second. I am pleased with the record yes, but my main feeling at this moment is disappointment for not having been able to beat Montgomery. "I am traumatised by what Tim did, completely traumatised. But I will be back." | |
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