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.
Tag Archives: Sydney Olympics
IOC strips Jones off her Olympics laurels
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.