Tag Archives: Marion Jones

Track-Star Jones admits steroid use

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For years, American sprint queen Marion Jones kept everyone in dark, denying any doping allegations even to the extent to sue BALCO founder Victor Conte in 2004 for $25 million, who repeatedly accused her of the same charges. Though under scrutiny by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, she has never been charged with a doping offence. Finally, seven long years after her triumphs at the 2000 Olympics, the three-time gold medalist has admitted in a recent letter to family and close friends that she used performance-enhancing drugs before the Sydney Games. In the letter, Jones admitted of using the steroid known as “the clear” for two years beginning in 1999. Former coach Trevor Graham, provided her the substance, saying it was the nutritional supplement flaxseed oil. The five-medal harvest at the Sydney Summer Olympics included three gold and two bronze that made her the most celebrated star of the games, but could now well be, stripped off the brilliance. Once hailed the greatest woman athlete in the world, Jones presently also pleads guilty to an unrelated financial matter. She however, might face the maximum penalty for lying to the federal agent, which may lead to five years in jail and a $283,660 fine.

Disgraced sprinter Marion Jones hands over Olympic medals

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Jones considered as one of the longest and most dismal tales in sports that has been disfigured by doping, reached its denouement by handing over the five medals she won at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics. Jones won the 100 metres, 200 metres in addition to taking third in the long jump, was part of the winning 4×400 team and the third-place 4×100 team. The ending is infact a valuable reminder that true athletic accomplishment is not obtained through cheating and any medal acquired through doping is only fool’s gold. Jones herself had steadfastly denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs, even as the BALCO suspicions swirled around her. To further extent she even sued BALCO founder Victor Conte, for defamation over his accusations. United States Olympic Committee chief executive Jim Scherr said: She relinquished this afternoon the medals that were won unfairly at the Sydney Games. She took the right step by quickly returning the medals.They are in the possession of the USOC and will be returned to the IOC so they can be awarded to the appropriate winners at the Olympic Games. Announcing her retirement last week after admitting of taking steroids to a New York court, Jones also accepts a two-year ban and will have to hand back more than 100,000 dollars in prize and bonus money.

Marion Jones sentenced six-months of jail!

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Here is another story of an Olympian athlete’s fall from grace. American athlete Marion Jones had been sentenced by an US District Judge to six months of imprisonment for lying about steroid use and involvement in a fraud case. Jones, the 2000 Sydney Olympics winner of 100m, 200m and 4x400m relay gold medals, 4x100m relay, and long jump bronze medals had earlier surrendered her medals on being found guilty of steroid use. Since then, her names had been expunged from the record books. Her problems multiplied last October, when she admitted that she has lied to a federal investigator in November 2003 that she had never used performance-enhancing drugs. The second charge against the athlete was of conniving with her former boyfriend sprinter Tim Montgomery in lying before a federal investigator in a cheque fraud case. Jones’ six months prison term will begin from 11 March. Scandals involving performance-enhancing drugs have been troubling the international athletic meets for a long time. Stringent drug testing measures have been able to nab a number of international athletes of using banned steroids. Is it correct to say that these athletes are solely responsible for consuming these drugs? Have they been lured by others? In many cases, it has been found that the coaches of these athletes have instigated the naive runners, many of whom come from an impoverished background to take these drugs to enhance their skills through increased physical power. To be successful in the international gaming arena means handsome prize money and endorsements that are even more lucrative for the athletes, who serve as the role model of the society. Greed becomes nemesis for them. Stringent punishment to athletes like Marion Jones will be a revelation to all future athletes that there is no substitution to hard work.

IOC strips Jones off her Olympics laurels

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The unbeatable five Olympic medals of sprinter Marion Jones during the Sydney 2000 Games were snatched from her by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after admitting she was a drug cheat. All her hard work and pains were put to waste after IOC ruled out that she has no right to claim her winnings after being found doping before her game in Sydney Olympics. Prior to the scandal, Jones was considered as a superstar in track and field after receiving three gold and two bronze medals in Australia. It was an achievement that no other female sprinter ever achieved in history. As a consequence of her disgraced drug cheat, IOC president Jacques Rogge banned Jones to be part of the Beijing Olympics and possibly barring her from the succeeding Olympic Games. Simply put, it is the end of her career as an athlete. But this has not yet been made official. Her admission disqualified her from her winnings and the results were scrapped. Even her American team mates were in hot water whether they will be part of the disqualification and the second placer Katerina Thanou be given the gold medal considering she too has allegations of doping. Jones bested gold medals in the track of 100m, 200m and 4x400m relays in Sydney. Her bronze medals came from her long jump competition and 4x100m relay. Aside from snatching her Sydney triumphs, she was also disqualified in 2004 Athens Olympics record finishing fifth in the finals’ long jump competition. Jones already returned her medals to the IOC.

IAAF slaps two-year ban on Marion Jones

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Sprinter Marion Jones has been slapped a two-year ban by the world governing body of athletics, IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation), for doping. She has also been stripped of her Olympic and world championship titles and all her other results have been annulled. All relay teammates of Jones ( from the 2000 Sydney Olympics) have also been disqualified and stripped of their medals. Jones has also been told to return prize money, estimated at $700,000. According to IAAF spokesperson Nick Davies, Jones can compete only after she has paid back the stated amount of prize money. Therefore, though Jones has actually retired, she remains officially suspended till 7 October 2009. She would also have to give a 12 months’ notice to the IAAF if she wanted to compete again following the ban. Jones won the 200 meter world title in 2001 and had claimed the gold medals in the 100 meter, 200 meter and the 1600 meter relay in the Sydney Olympics. She also won the bronze medals in the 400 meter relay and long jump in 2001. Jones had admitted that she had taken the designer steroid ‘the clear’ during the period September 2000 to July 2001. She retired last month after pleading guilty to federal investigators in 2003. She has returned her Olympic medals ( five), and has also agreed to forfeit all her results dating to 1 September 2000. However, IAAF and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are yet to take a stand on altering the record books and revising the awarded medals. It is up to the IOC ( which has the authority over Olympic medals) to decide whether Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou would be upgraded to the 100 meter Olympic gold medal. Thanou and Kostas Kenteris (Thanou’s fellow Greek runner) had failed to show up for a drug test in 2004, stating that they had been injured in a motorcycle accident and both pulled out of the Athens Olympics, 2004. Both were later awarded two-year bans. Jacques Rogge, the president of the IOC, has stated that only ‘clean’ athletes will be moved up in medal positions. There would be no automatic upgrades, and hence, keeping the 100 meter winner’s spot vacant remains a possibility. source