Story ProgressBack to home
IAAF erases Marion Jones' results
All her results dating to September 2000 were annulled because of her admission to taking a designer steroid.
- Associated Press
- Updated: November 25, 2007 01:08 PM IST
Read Time:4 min
Monte Carlo:
All of her results dating to September 2000 were annulled by the IAAF on Friday because of her admission to taking a designer steroid called "the clear" from September 2000 to July 2001.
Track and field's governing body also told her to return any prize-money from that period. But it's her teammates who could also end up paying a price for her doping, having helped her win Olympic medals.
Jearl Miles-Clark, Monique Hennagan, Tasha Colander-Richardson and Andrea Anderson were part of the 1,600-meter relay team in Sydney that won gold. Chryste Gaines, Torri Edwards, Nanceen Perry and Passion Richardson were on the 400-meter relay team that also came first.
The International Association of Athletics Federation recommended they be disqualified and lose their medals.
"The IAAF further recommends to the IOC executive board to disqualify Ms. Jones and the USA women's 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams from the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 and to insist on the return of the medals and diplomas," the IAAF said.
It's now up to the International Olympic Committee to decide whether Jamaica receives gold in the 1,600 relay and France bronze in the 400.
If so, eight other American athletes will be returning their Olympic medals, something Jones has already done.
The IAAF council upheld the two-year ban imposed on Jones by US officials. She retired last month after pleading guilty to lying to federal investigators in 2003.
Jones won gold medals in the 100 meters, 200 and the 1,600-meter relay in Sydney, as well as bronzes in the 400 relay and long jump. She has agreed to forfeit all results dating to Sept 1, 2000.
But it's still up to the IAAF and IOC to change the record books and revise the medals.
The IAAF said Jones was disqualified from all competitions since Sept 1, 2000. The 31-year-old Jones must return all awards, medals and money from that period - an estimated $700,000 - and can't compete again unless she pays it back.
Athletes who are eventually upgraded stand to receive a share of Jones' prize money, IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said. However, it's uncertain whether they will ever get the money as Jones is said to be broke.
Jones' doping admission - and the return of five Olympic medals - may have prevented the IAAF from seeking a longer ban. As does the fact that her career effectively ended in September 2000, unless she attempts a comeback.
Even though Jones has retired, she is officially suspended until Oct 7, 2009. Jones would have to give the IAAF 12 months' notice if she wants to return to competition after the ban, Davies said.
The IAAF did not take a position on whether Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou should be upgraded to the Olympic gold medal in the 100 meters.
That will be up to the IOC, which has authority over Olympic medals.
"We recommend that you (the) IOC take the final decision," IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss said.
Thanou and fellow Greek runner Kostas Kenteris failed to show up for drug tests on the eve of the 2004 Athens Games, claimed they were injured in a motorcycle accident and eventually pulled out. They were later banned for two years.
IOC president Jacques Rogge has said there will be no automatic upgrade, and that only "clean" athletes will be moved up in the medals. The IOC - which holds an executive board meeting next month - is considering whether to leave the 100-meter winner's place vacant.
IAAF president Lamine Diack, who has branded Jones "one of the biggest frauds in sporting history", was at the meeting in Monte Carlo but did not speak to reporters.
In Sydney, Pauline Davis-Thompson of the Bahamas was the silver medalist behind Jones in the 200 meters, while Tatiana Kotova of Russia was fourth in the long jump. They could now be awarded gold and bronze by the IOC.
The IAAF disqualified Jones from her results at the 2001 world championships in Edmonton, where she won gold in the 200 meters and silver in the 100.
Debbie Ferguson of the Bahamas moves up to gold in the 200, Latasha Jenkins of the United States to silver and Cydonie Mothersill of the Cayman Islands to bronze.
In the 100, won by Zhanna Block of Ukraine, Thanou would move from bronze to silver, and Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas from fourth to bronze.
"There is awareness of the situation for sure," Davies said. "But there is also the fact there is no reason we have at the moment why she (Thanou) shouldn't have the medal."
The once-glittering career of Marion Jones shines no longer after her Olympic and world championship titles won in the past seven years were stripped from the record books.All of her results dating to September 2000 were annulled by the IAAF on Friday because of her admission to taking a designer steroid called "the clear" from September 2000 to July 2001.
Track and field's governing body also told her to return any prize-money from that period. But it's her teammates who could also end up paying a price for her doping, having helped her win Olympic medals.
Jearl Miles-Clark, Monique Hennagan, Tasha Colander-Richardson and Andrea Anderson were part of the 1,600-meter relay team in Sydney that won gold. Chryste Gaines, Torri Edwards, Nanceen Perry and Passion Richardson were on the 400-meter relay team that also came first.
The International Association of Athletics Federation recommended they be disqualified and lose their medals.
"The IAAF further recommends to the IOC executive board to disqualify Ms. Jones and the USA women's 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams from the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 and to insist on the return of the medals and diplomas," the IAAF said.
It's now up to the International Olympic Committee to decide whether Jamaica receives gold in the 1,600 relay and France bronze in the 400.
If so, eight other American athletes will be returning their Olympic medals, something Jones has already done.
The IAAF council upheld the two-year ban imposed on Jones by US officials. She retired last month after pleading guilty to lying to federal investigators in 2003.
Jones won gold medals in the 100 meters, 200 and the 1,600-meter relay in Sydney, as well as bronzes in the 400 relay and long jump. She has agreed to forfeit all results dating to Sept 1, 2000.
But it's still up to the IAAF and IOC to change the record books and revise the medals.
The IAAF said Jones was disqualified from all competitions since Sept 1, 2000. The 31-year-old Jones must return all awards, medals and money from that period - an estimated $700,000 - and can't compete again unless she pays it back.
Athletes who are eventually upgraded stand to receive a share of Jones' prize money, IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said. However, it's uncertain whether they will ever get the money as Jones is said to be broke.
Jones' doping admission - and the return of five Olympic medals - may have prevented the IAAF from seeking a longer ban. As does the fact that her career effectively ended in September 2000, unless she attempts a comeback.
Even though Jones has retired, she is officially suspended until Oct 7, 2009. Jones would have to give the IAAF 12 months' notice if she wants to return to competition after the ban, Davies said.
The IAAF did not take a position on whether Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou should be upgraded to the Olympic gold medal in the 100 meters.
That will be up to the IOC, which has authority over Olympic medals.
"We recommend that you (the) IOC take the final decision," IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss said.
Thanou and fellow Greek runner Kostas Kenteris failed to show up for drug tests on the eve of the 2004 Athens Games, claimed they were injured in a motorcycle accident and eventually pulled out. They were later banned for two years.
IOC president Jacques Rogge has said there will be no automatic upgrade, and that only "clean" athletes will be moved up in the medals. The IOC - which holds an executive board meeting next month - is considering whether to leave the 100-meter winner's place vacant.
IAAF president Lamine Diack, who has branded Jones "one of the biggest frauds in sporting history", was at the meeting in Monte Carlo but did not speak to reporters.
In Sydney, Pauline Davis-Thompson of the Bahamas was the silver medalist behind Jones in the 200 meters, while Tatiana Kotova of Russia was fourth in the long jump. They could now be awarded gold and bronze by the IOC.
The IAAF disqualified Jones from her results at the 2001 world championships in Edmonton, where she won gold in the 200 meters and silver in the 100.
Debbie Ferguson of the Bahamas moves up to gold in the 200, Latasha Jenkins of the United States to silver and Cydonie Mothersill of the Cayman Islands to bronze.
In the 100, won by Zhanna Block of Ukraine, Thanou would move from bronze to silver, and Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas from fourth to bronze.
"There is awareness of the situation for sure," Davies said. "But there is also the fact there is no reason we have at the moment why she (Thanou) shouldn't have the medal."
Topics mentioned in this article
Athletics
Get the Latest IPL 2024 Updates, check out IPL 2024 schedules and IPL points table at NDTV Sports.Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for more sports updates. You can also download the NDTV Cricket app for Android or iOS.