Posted: October 6, 2007

Athletics: Statement from USATF CEO Craig Masback on Marion Jones' guilty plea

"USA Track & Field condemns drug use by any athlete, and we are extremely disappointed in Marion Jones and the lies she has told regarding her use of performance-enhancing substances. Her fellow competitors, teammates and the sport are paying the price for her mistakes, and her admission cannot erase that damage. "The sport of track and field and the Olympic movement continue to make a strong statement in punishing athletes who use drugs, and we have made great progress in that fight in recent years. The lessons of the BALCO scandal still shape how we battle drug use and drug culture, just as our clean athletes continue to set an example for how to win the right way. We hope all athletes, whether youth athletes, professionals or recreational athletes, heed the lessons from Marion Jones' experience, and that they make the right decision to compete cleanly and honestly." Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest