MARION Jones is confident she will be at the Olympic Games, despite the fact she is currently at the centre of the biggest doping scandal to hit US athletics.

The American sprinter, who finished second in the women's long jump at yesterday's Norwich Union British Grand Prix at Gateshead, cannot go anywhere without being asked about the Federal Bureau of Investigation's inquiry into the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative and its clients Jones and partner Tim Montgomery.

Montgomery was officially charged last week for doping violations by the US Anti-Doping Agency which has called for him to be banned for life and his performances of the last four years scratched - including the world 100m record of 9.78 achieved in Paris in 2002.

Despite being handsomely compensated for appearing in the North-East, the 28-year-old Jones, who has not been charged with any offence, had refused to speak to the press before the meeting and only granted a fleeting audience on completion of her event yesterday.

However, in the few words the woman who captured Olympic gold and held two world titles at the 100m did speak her feelings were spelt out loud and clear.

Jones, who jumped 6.77m yesterday, behind Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia (6.87) and ahead of another Russian Tatyana Kotova (6.64), said: "Overall I am pretty happy with my performance," she said. "Of course off the track it has been distracting, but not so much as you might think when I am actually competing. This is something I have to deal with right now, but I will get through it.

"I can't concern myself with all the distractions.

"The (US Olympic) trials are almost as competitive as the Olympic Games and I am confident I will be OK and make the team.

"I've said my piece now. I've done everything possible to clear my name. I've taken a lie detector test but if people want to continue this I will have to cope with it and keep working to make the US team."

Event winner Lebedeva said she was happy with the way things were going ahead of the Olympics in Athens later this summer.

"I am feeling stronger every time I jump. My form is very good and I think it will get better. This was an excellent competition with so many of my rivals. It is good for my confidence to be beating them at this stage of the season.

"I like competing here. I still have the stadium record. As long as my health is good and the conditions are right I will definitely compete in both events in Athens. It is my dream to win two golds. It would be an historic achievement."

In a high calibre field, Great Britain's Kelly Sotherton came fourth with 6.64m, Heike Drechsler of Germany seventh with 6.29m and Britain's Denise Lewis eighth and last with 6.14m.

In the men's 200m, Chris Lambert secured both the victory and an Olympic qualifying time, crossing the line in 20.57secs and beating out compatriot Christian Malcolm (20.64) and Cameroon's Joseph Batangdon (20.84). Britain's Marlon Devonish was fourth in 20.94.

"The Olympic time and a win were both good to get and it was really good to beat those guys. I didn't realise the time until I had finished as I was concentrating on the other guys," said Lambert. "I definitely won the race on the bend. I knew if I could work the bend out the victory was there."

In the javelin, Britain's Steve Backley had to settle for fourth with a throw of 79.02m. Aleksandr Ivanov of Russia took the win with a throw of 85.74m.

"It wasn't great," said Backley. "I was struggling with the wind."