Freeman urges Jones to step up to 400

Australia's Olympic champion Cathy Freeman wants dominant U.S. sprinter Marion Jones to step up to 400 metres to give her some competition.

Freeman, who provided the highlight of last year's Sydney Olympics when she won the 400 gold after lighting the cauldron to open the Games, said on Thursday that, with more competition, she could approach world-record pace at the 2004 Athens Games.

"The competition just isn't there for me to really go and run to my true potential," Freeman told Australian reporters on a telephone conference call from Los Angeles. "I could have run a lot faster than what I did in Sydney.

"There are signs of wear and tear but I feel very strong mentally. I'm ready to go, I still want more."

Freeman, who turns 28 on Friday, won gold in Sydney in a time of 49.11 seconds from Jamaica's Lorraine Graham in 49.58 and Britain's Katharine Merry, who was third in 49.72.

The world record stands at 47.60, set in 1985 by East German Marita Koch.

Freeman's best time is 48.63 seconds.

"If somebody's willing to push me really hard on the track ... the world record I don't think is entirely out of reach," Freeman said.

Freeman will defend her world title in Edmonton in August.

Jones, the Olympic 100 and 200 champion, is the athlete she really wants to push her in the one-lap race.

"Marion Jones in the 400 final at the Olympics in Athens, that would be brilliant," she said.

"I have asked Ms Jones why she hasn't thought about seriously taking up the 400, but her interest lies in the 100, 200 and long jump."

Freeman's great rival, Frenchwoman Marie-Jose Perec, the Australian's conqueror in the 1996 Olympic final in Atlanta, left Sydney before the race after intense media attention.

Freeman is returning to Australia this week but has opted to rest from the Australian domestic grand prix season.

"A third world title is what I'm focussing on now. I'm so happy because my level of motivation is still there, I'm still excited," she said.

"I would love to win in Athens, that's the stuff that only a few people are made of, to defend an Olympic title."