ATHLETICS: Marion Jones appears to have lost her final chance to defend the Olympic 100 metres title, after the 37-year-old Gail Devers took up the opportunity to replace the world champion Torri Edwards in the US team.

Edwards has been suspended for two years after testing positive for the banned stimulant nikethamide, which she claimed she had ingested by mistake in a glucose tablet. The 27-year-old is entitled to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which could hold an expedited hearing in Athens before the 100 metres starts next Friday.

Having finished fourth in the US Olympic trials in Sacramento last month, Devers was given the first option to replace Edwards.

She has twice won the Olympic 100m title - in 1992 and 1996 - and jumped at the chance, despite having also qualified for the 100 metres hurdles.

But Edwards' suspension does mean that Jones will almost certainly run in the 4x100 metres relay team despite being the subject of doping controversy.

The 2000 triple Olympic champion is being investigated by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), but has not been charged with using performance-enhancing drugs. She has denied all charges.

Should she subsequently be convicted of doping, the US could be stripped of relay medals earned with her on the team.

But the speculation has clearly affected Jones, who qualified only for the long jump after winning five medals in Sydney four years ago. She is in Crete at the US pre-Olympic training camp, but is refusing to talk to the media.

Dick Pound, the chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency and Jones' biggest critic, yesterday claimed USA Track & Field must shoulder the blame for the number of positive tests in America. "The leadership within USA Track and Field has been largely responsible for this problem getting as extensive as it has," he said.

Pound maintained that it was only thanks to USADA the problem was finally being tackled in America. "We're very pleased with the work USADA has done," he said. "But it doesn't solve the problems for USA Track and Field.

Pound officially confirmed yesterday that there will be a test for human growth hormone at these Games.