Marion Jones to Finally Fess Up

Marion Jones Doping Scandal

Marion Jones Will Finally Fess Up

I was surprised to see emblazoned across the Fox News home page that three-time Olympic gold medalist Marion Jones was expected to enter a guilty plea in the U.S. District Court in White Plains, N.Y. for charges in connection with steroid use, which has dogged her for a few years. This confirmed what I had believed all along, that somehow she knew exactly what was going on with the BALCO scandal. She was associated with too many people in the scandal to be so blind as to know nothing. The great Marion Jones, may yet, take a terrible fall from which she will never recover. She will be remembered not for the medals she won, but for her role in the doping scandal that may ultimately claim the very gold medals for which she was so proud.

The Washington Post has reported that Jones sent a letter to her family and friends in which she stated she had used steroids before the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. It is said that she faces up to six months in jail and would be sentenced in three months. In addition to the jail term, Jones would face a long competition ban from the U.S. AntiDoping Agency. The admission, in and of itself, could cost her the five medals she won in Sydney, a feat that catapulted her to fame and made her an instant star. The International Olympic Committee has said that it was prepared to strip her of these medals if she confesses to the doping allegations. Under the statute of limitations rules, the IOC and other sports bodies can go back eight years to strip medals and nullify results. The stakes are painstakingly high for Jones. The International Association of Athletics Federations has said that it was awaiting official notification from the USADA detailing Jones' reported admission. If she admits to the allegations, then the IAAF could strip her of all her medals and results from the world championships and other events from that time. She won three gold medals, a silver and a bronze at the 1999 and 2001 world championships, respectively.