The Hindu : Sport : IAAF strips Marion Jones of her results; upholds two-year ban

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Saturday, Nov 24, 2007
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IAAF strips Marion Jones of her results; upholds two-year ban

MONACO: All of Marion Jones’s results dating to September 2000, including her Olympic and world championship titles, were annulled on Friday in the wake of her admitting to doping. Track and field’s governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federation, also asked her to return prize money from that period.

The IAAF recommended that Jones’s relay teammates also be disqualified and lose their medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The IAAF council also 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 admitted she had taken the designer steroid “the clear” from September 2000 to July 2001.

Jones won gold medals in the 100m, the 200m and the 4x400m relay in Sydney, as well as bronzes in the 4x100 relay and the long jump.

Jones has returned her five Olympic medals and has agreed to forfeit all results dating to September 1, 2000. But it is still up to the IAAF and the International Olympic Committee to change the record books and revise the medals.

The IAAF said Jones was disqualified from all competitions since September 1, 2000, with all results erased. That includes all relays, not just individual events. The IAAF said Jones must return all awards, medals and money from that period.

Jones owes $700,000

IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said Jones owes an estimated $700,000 in prize money and cannot compete again unless she pays it back. Even though Jones has retired, she is officially suspended until October 7, 2009.

The IAAF did not take a position on whether Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou should be upgraded to the Olympic gold medal in the 100m. That will be up to the IOC, which has authority over Olympic medals.

Thanou and fellow Greek runner Kostas Kenteris failed to show up for drug tests on the eve of the 2004 Athens Games, claiming 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 would be no automatic upgrade, and that only “clean” athletes will be moved up in the medals. The IOC is considering whether to leave the 100m winner’s place vacant. — AP

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