Marion Jones

**Marion Lois Jones** (born October 12, 1975), dem sanso know as **Marion Jones-Thompson**, be an American former world champion track-and-field athlete den former professional basketball player. She win three gold medals den two bronze medals at de 2000 Summer Olympics insyd Sydney, Australia, buh na dem later strip am of ein medals after she admit to lying to federal investigators about ein use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Na Jones be one of de most famous athletes dem link to de BALCO scandal. Na de performance-enhancing substance usage scandal cover more dan 20 top-level athletes, wey dey include Jones ein ex-husbie, shot putter C. J. Hunter, den 100 m sprinter Tim Montgomery.

Jones play college basketball give de North Carolina Tar Heels, wer na she win de NCAA championship insyd 1994. She later play two season of professional basketball insyd de Women's National Basketball Association, as point guard for de Tulsa Shock.

## Early life den education
Na dem born Marion Jones to George Jones den ein wifey, Marion (originally from Belize), insyd Los Angeles. She dey hold dual citizenship plus de United States den Belize. Na ein parents split wen she be very young, wey na Jones ein mommie remarry a retired postal worker, Ira Toler, three years later. Toler cam be a stay-at-home dad to Jones den ein older half-bro, Albert Kelly, til ein sudden death insyd 1987. Jones turn to sports as an outlet for ein grief: running, pickup basketball games, den watever else na ein bro Albert dey do athletically. By de age of 15, na she routinely dey dominate California high-school athletics on both de track den de basketball court.

Jones be a 1997 graduate of de University of North Carolina (UNC).

Insyd high school, Jones win de CIF California State Meet insyd de 100 m sprint four years insyd a row, wey dey represent Rio Mesa de first two years den Thousand Oaks high school de last two. Insyd 1992, na she be successfully defended by attorney Johnnie Cochran on charges of she miss a routine drug test. Na dem select am de Gatorade Player of de Year for track den field three years insyd a row, once at Rio Mesa den twice at Thousand Oaks. Na she be de *Track and Field News* "High School Athlete of de Year" insyd 1991 den 1992. Na she be de third female athlete make she achieve de title twice, immediately dey follow Angela Burnham at Rio Mesa High School, wey na she be de second to achieve de title twice.

Na dem invite am make she participate insyd de 1992 Olympic trials, den after ein showing insyd de 200 meters finals, go make de team as an alternate insyd de 4 × 100 meter relay, buh na she decline de invitation. After she win further state-wide sprint titles, she accept a full scholarship to de University of North Carolina insyd basketball, wer na she help de team win de NCAA championship insyd ein freshman year. Na Jones redshirt ein 1996 basketball season make she concentrate on track buh na she injure wey she never get de opportunity to try out.

She excel at ein first major international competition, wey she win de 100 m sprint at de 1997 World Championships insyd Athens, while na she fini 10th insyd de long jump. At de 1999 World Championships, Jones attempt make she win four titles, buh she injure einself insyd de 200 m after a gold insyd de 100 m den a long jump bronze.

At de Sydney Olympics, Jones fini plus three gold medals (100- den 200-meter sprint, den 4 × 400 m relay) den two bronze medals (long jump den 4 × 100 m relay). However, na dem later strip am of dese medals after she admit ein use of performance-enhancing drugs. Na Jones vehemently deny she dey use performance-enhancing drugs til ein confession insyd 2007.

A dominant force insyd women's sprinting, na dem upset Jones insyd de 100&nbsp;m sprint at de 2001 World Championships, as na Ukrainian Zhanna Pintusevich-Block beat am for ein first loss insyd de event insyd six years; na Pintusevich-Block be one of de names wey Victor Conte reveal during de BALCO scandals. Na Jones, however, claim de gold insyd both de 200&nbsp;m den 4 × 100&nbsp;m relay.

On ein 2004 Olympics experience, Jones say "e be extremely disappointing, words no fi put am into perspective." She cam insyd fifth insyd de long jump wey she compete insyd de women's 4x100&nbsp;m relay wer na de team sweep past de competition insyd de preliminaries only to miss a baton pass wey dem fini last insyd de final race. Na Jones promise say na ein latest defeat no go be de end of ein Olympic efforts, wey na she reassert insyd May 2005 dat na winning a gold medal at de 2008 Olympics remain ein "ultimate goal."

Na May 2006 get Jones run 11.06 at altitude, buh into a headwind insyd ein season debut wey she beat Veronica Campbell den Lauryn Williams insyd subsequent 100&nbsp;m events. By July 8, 2006, na Jones appear to be insyd top form; she win de 100&nbsp;m sprint at Gaz de France plus a time of 10.93&nbsp;seconds. Na e be ein fastest time insyd almost four years. Three days later, na Jones once more improve on ein seasonal best time at de Rome IIAF Golden League (10.91&nbsp;seconds), buh she loose to Jamaica ein Sherone Simpson, wey clock 10.87.

## WNBA career
 
Insyd November 2009, na Jones dey work out for de San Antonio Silver Stars of de WNBA. Na she play basketball while insyd college at de University of North Carolina, wer na ein team win de national championship insyd 1994. Ein No. 20 jersey, wey de school honor, dey hang insyd Carmichael Auditorium. Na dem select am insyd de third round of de 2003 WNBA draft by de Phoenix Mercury. On March 10, 2010, na de Tulsa Shock announce say Jones, a rookie, sign make she play plus de team. Jones make ein debut on May 15, insyd de Shock ein inaugural game at de BOK Center against de Minnesota Lynx. On August 22, 2010, na she log ein first start wey she score a WNBA career high 15 points insyd a win against de Chicago Sky. Insyd 47 WNBA games, Jones average 2.6 points den 1.3 rebounds per game. Na Jones be waived by de Shock on July 21, 2011.

While at UNC, Jones meet den begin dey date one of de track coaches, shot putter C. J. Hunter. Na Hunter voluntarily resign from ein position at UNC make he comply plus de requirements of university rules wey dey prohibit coach-athlete dating. Na Jones den Hunter marry on October 3, 1998, wey dem train for de Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics.

Insyd de run-up to de 2000 Olympics, Jones declare say na she intend to win gold medals insyd all five of ein competition events at Sydney. Na Hunter withdraw from de shotput competition for a knee injury, though na dem allow make he keep ein coaching credentials den attend de games make he support ein wifey. Just hours after Marion Jones win ein first of de planned five golds, though, de International Olympic Committee (IOC) announce say na Hunter fail four pre-Olympic drug tests, dey test positive each time for de banned anabolic steroid nandrolone. Na dem immediately suspend Hunter from make he take any role at de Sydney games, wey na dem order am make he surrender ein on-field coaching credentials. At a press conference wer na Hunter break down in tears, he deny taking any performance-enhancing drugs, much less de easily detected nandrolone. Jones go later wrep insyd ein autobiography, *Marion Jones: Life in the Fast Lane*, say na Hunter ein positive drug tests hurt dema marriage den ein image as a drug-free athlete. De couple divorce insyd 2002.

On June 28, 2003, Jones give birth to a son, Tim Montgomery Jr., plus then-boyfriend Tim Montgomery, a world-class sprinter einself. Secof ein pregnancy, na Jones miss de 2003 World Championships, buh she spend a year dey prepare for de 2004 Olympics. Montgomery, wey no qualify for de 2004 Olympic track-den-field team for poor performance, na dem charge am by de United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), as part of de investigation into de BALCO doping scandal, plus he receive den use banned performance-enhancing drugs. Na de USADA seek a four-year suspension give Montgomery. Na Montgomery fight de ban, buh na he loose de appeal on December 13, 2005, wey he receive a two-year ban from track-den-field competition; de Court of Arbitration for Sport sanso strip Montgomery of all race results, records, den medals, from March 31, 2001, dey go. Montgomery later announce ein retirement.

On February 24, 2007, Jones marry Barbadian sprinter den 2000 Olympic 100 m bronze medalist Obadele Thompson. Jones get two kiddies plus Thompson. Thompson den Jones divorce insyd 2017. Jones now dey reside insyd Austin, Texas plus ein long-time partner, Adele.

Insyd 2010, Jones release a book, *On the Right Track: From Olympic Downfall to Finding Forgiveness and the Strength to Overcome and Succeed*, wey Simon & Schuster publish. Jones now be a full-time public speaker, trainer den coach. Insyd 2024 Jones partner plus Driven Inc make dem launch Driven performance wich dey focus on building resilience skills thru coaching den physical fitness.

### ''Top Speed'' film
Jones appear insyd de 2003 film *Top Speed*, along plus oda speed specialists such as racing driver Lucas Luhr, mountain biker Marla Streb, den Porsche Cayenne designer Stephen Murkett. Greg MacGillivray direct am wey na dem shoot am insyd IMAX format, de film dey cover details from races to mistakes she make within ein performances.

## Use of illicit performance-enhancing drugs

Thro houtchawt ofeinr athletic careerwey dey  inclueg two Olympiadsnendchaw  championship meets,na dem accuse Jones, either directly anaa by implication, of she take performance-enhancing drugs. Na dese accusations begin insyd high school insyd de early 1990s, wen na she miss a random drug test wey na dem consequently ban am for four years from track den field competition. Jones, a minor, claim say she never receive de letter wey dey notify am of de required test; wey na attorney Johnnie Cochran successfully get de four-year ban overturned. Na Jones tend to train plus both coaches den athletes wey na demaselves dem be dogged by rumors den accusations wey dey surround performance-enhancing drugs. Den til 2007, na Jones deny, insyd almost every way possible den insyd almost any venue wer na de question arise, she be involved plus performance enhancers. Na she frequently say na she never test positive for performance-enhancing substances.

### BALCO investigation
On December 3, 2004, Victor Conte, de founder of BALCO, appear insyd an interview plus Martin Bashir on ABC's *20/20*. Insyd de interview, na Conte tell a national audience say na he personally give Jones four different illegal performance-enhancing drugs before, during, den after de 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Insyd de course of investigative research, San Francisco-based reporters Lance Williams den Mark Fainaru-Wada report say na Jones receive banned drugs from BALCO, dey cite documentary evidence den testimony from Jones ein ex-husbie C.J. Hunter, wey dey claim he see Jones inject einself insyd de stomach plus de steroids.

According to Hunter'ein s 2004 testimony before a federal grand jury, Jon'ein s use of banned drugs bigan well before Sydney. Na Hunter tell de investigators say Jones first obtain EPO (erythropoietin) from Graham, wey Hunter say he get a Mexican connection for de drug. Later, Hunter say, Graham meet Conte, wey begin dey provide de coach plus BALCO "nutritional supplements", wich na be actually an experimental class of "designer" steroids dem say e be undetectable by drug screening procedures available at de time. Graham then distribute de performance enhancers to Jones den oda Sprint Capitol athletes. Subsequently, Hunter tell federal agents Jones begin dey receive drugs directly from Conte.

Na Jones never fail a drug test using de then-existing testing procedures, wey na dem find insufficient evidence make dem bring charges wey dey regard oda untested performance-enhancing drugs.

### 2006 EPO tests
*The Washington Post*, dey cite unidentified sources plus knowledge of drug results from de USA Track and Field Championships insyd Indianapolis, report say on June 23, 2006, na an "A" sample of Marion Jones ein urine test positive for erythropoietin (EPO), a banned performance enhancer. Na Jones withdraw from de Weltklasse Golden League meet insyd Switzerland, dey cite "personal reasons", den once more she deny using performance-enhancing drugs. She retain lawyer Howard Jacobs, wey represent chaw athletes insyd doping cases, wey dey include Tim Montgomery den cyclist Floyd Landis. On September 6, 2006, na Jones ein lawyers announce say na ein "B" sample test negative, wich clear am from de doping allegations.

### Admission of lying during BALCO investigation
On October 5, 2007, Jones admit to lying to federal agents under oath about ein steroids use prior to de 2000 Summer Olympics wey na she plead guilty at de U.S. District Court for de Southern District of New York (insyd White Plains). She confess to Judge Kenneth M. Karas say na she make false statements wey dey regard de BALCO den a check-fraud case. Na dem release am on ein own recognizance buh na dem require am make she surrender both ein U.S. den Belizean passports, dey pend sentencing insyd January. Although na dem fi impose a maximum sentence of five years, de prosecution recommend no more dan six months as part of Jones ein plea bargain.

After ein admission, Jones hold a press conference on de same day, wer na she publicly admit to using steroids before de Olympics wey na she acknowledge say, in fact, she lie wen she previously deny steroid use insyd statements to de press, to various sports agencies, den to two grand juries. Na one be impaneled to investigate de BALCO "designer steroid" ring, wey na de oda be impaneled to investigate a check fraud ring wey dey involve chaw of de same parties from de BALCO case. As a result of dese admissions, na Jones accept a two-year suspension from track den field competition wey be issued by USADA wey na she announce ein retirement from track den field. She break down into tears during de press conference as she apologize for ein actions, dey say: *"And so it is with a great amount of shame, that I stand before you and tell you that I have betrayed your trust... and you have the right to be angry with me. I have let them down. I have let my country down. And I have let myself down."*

USADA state say dema sanction "sanso dey require disqualification of all ein competitive results she obtain after September 1, 2000, den forfeiture of all medals, results, points den prizes". On January 11, 2008, na dem sentence Jones to six months insyd jail. She begin ein sentence on March 7, 2008, wey na dem release am on September 5, 2008.

Insyd de BALCO case, na she deny federal agents ein use of steroid tetrahydrogestrinone, dem know as "The Clear", anaa "THG", from 1999, buh na she claim dem give am de impression na she dey take a flaxseed oil supplement for two years while coach Trevor Graham supply am plus de substance. Insyd a published letter insyd October 2007, Jones say dat na she use de substance wey na dem take give am dem describe as flaxseed oil, wich na dem later confirm e be "The Clear" til she stop dey train plus Graham at de end of 2002. She say na she lie wen federal agents question am insyd 2003 secof na she panick wen na dem present am plus a sample of "The Clear".

### U.S. Olympic Committee demands return of Olympic medals
Peter Ueberroth, chairmo of de U.S. Olympic Committee, react to de news of Jones ein confession den guilty plea on perjury charges by he issue a statement wey dey call on Jones make she "immediately step forward den return de Olympic medals na she win while she dey compete in violation of de rules". Ueberroth add say na ein admission be "long overdue den dey underscore de shame den dishonor wey be inherent plus cheating." IAAF presido Lamine Diack say insyd a statement: "dem go kai Marion Jones as one of de biggest frauds insyd sporting history."

On October 8, 2007, na a source confirm say Marion Jones surrender ein five medals from de 2000 Summer Olympics. On de same day, Ueberroth say dat make dem return all de relay medals, den on April 10, 2008, de IOC vote to strip Jones ein relay teammates of dema medals as well, although na dem go successfully appeal dis decision by seven of Jones ein teammates wey na dem overturn insyd 2010.

### Formal IOC disqualification
On December 12, 2007, de IOC formally strip Jones of all five Olympic medals wey dey date back to September 2000, wey na dem ban am from attending de 2008 Summer Olympics insyd any capacity. De IOC action sanso officially disqualify Jones from ein fifth-place finish insyd de long jump at de 2004 Summer Olympics.

On October 28, 2008, na Oprah Winfrey interview Jones wey na she state say na she go win gold at de Sydney Olympics widout de drugs wey lead am to ein disgrace.

Seven years after she win a women's record five Olympic track den field medals wey she receive multimillion-dollar endorsement deals, na Jones be broke. According to de Associated Press, na Jones dey heavily in debt awey na she dey fight off court judgments, according to court records wey be reviewed by de *Los Angeles Times*. Insyd 2006, na a bank foreclose on ein $2.5 million mansion insyd Apex, North Carolina. Insyd ein prime, na Jones be one of track ein first female sports millionaires, typically na she dey earn between $70,000 den $80,000 a race, plus at least anoda $1 million from race bonuses den endorsement deals.

### Involvement insyd check fraud
Insyd July 2006, na dem link Jones to a check-counterfeiting scheme wey lead to criminal charges against ein coach den former boyfriend Montgomery. Na documents show dat na dem deposit a $25,000 check dem make out to Jones insyd ein bank account as part of de alleged multimillion-dollar scheme. Na prosecutors allege say na dem send funds to Jones ein track coach, 1976 Olympic gold medalist Steve Riddick, insyd Virginia, then dem funnel back to New York thru a network of "paddies, relatives den associates." Na dem arrest Riddick insyd February on money-laundering charges. According to de indictment den subsequent documents dem file plus de court, na dem make de link to Jones thru one of Riddick ein business partners, Nathaniel Alexander.

On October 5, 2007, na Jones plead guilty to na she make false statements to IRS Special Agent Jeff Novitzky wey dey lead de ongoing BALCO investigation insyd California. Na Jones claim she never take performance-enhancing drugs. "Na dat be a lie, your honor", na she say from de defense table. De federal government, thru grand juries, na dem dey investigate steroid abuse since 2003.

Jones sanso plead guilty to she make false statements about ein knowledge of a check-cashing scheme to New York U.S. Department of Homeland Security Special Agent Erik Rosenblatt, wey na he dey lead a broad financial investigation wey na dem already convict Montgomery, sports agent Charles Wells, den ein coach, Steve Riddick.

### Criminal sentencing

Na prosecutors tell U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas say any sentence between probation den six months' imprisonment go be fair (plus de maximum penalty be five years insyd prison); na Karas respond by seeking advice as to whether he fi go beyond de six-month sentence. Meanwhile, na Jones ein lawyers biz say make dem limit ein penalty to probation den community service, wey dem dey argue, in part, say na dem punish am enough by she apologize publicly, she retire from track den field, wey na dem relinquish ein five Olympic medals.

On January 11, 2008, na Karas sentence Jones to six months insyd jail for ein involvement insyd de check fraud case den ein use of performance-enhancing drugs. During de sentencing hearing, na de judge admonish am, dey talk say na she know wat na she dey do wey she go be punished accordingly. "De offenses here be serious. Dem each dey involve lies dem make three years apart", na Karas say, dey add dat na Jones ein actions "no be a one-off mistake...buh a repetition insyd an attempt make she break de law."

Na dem order Jones make she surrender on March 15, 2008. She report four days early, on March 11, at de Federal Medical Center, Carswell prison insyd Fort Worth wey na dem assign am Federal Bureau of Prisons register no. 84868–054. Na dem release am from prison on September 5, 2008.

## Post-scandal
Na Jones appear insyd season 3 of *Special Forces: World's Toughest Test* wer na dem medically withdraw am during de third episode.

## Statistics

### Track den field

#### Personal bests

#### Individual achievements

* Na de United States Anti-Doping Agency strip Jones of every single medal, point den result na she receive after September 1, 2000, after she admit to she use performance-enhancing steroids prior to de 2000 Summer Olympics.

#### Awards

* World Athletics Awards

:: World Athlete of de Year (Women): 1997, 1998

### WNBA

#### Regular season

### College basketball

## References



### Oda sources

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* 
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## External links

* Career statistics from WNBA.com · Basketball Reference 
* Marion Jones at World Athletics 
*  at IMDb
* New York Times Topic: People: Marion Jones
* 10-05-2007 Federal Plea Bargain Agreement
* 12-28-2007 Marion Jones's Legal Filing Requesting Parole
* Complete text, audio, video of Marion Jones-Thompson apology speech
* California State Records before 2000
*