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MONTE CARLO, Monaco -– Marion Jones should be stripped of five Olympic medals from the 2000 Games in the wake of her confession last month to using performance-enhancing drugs, the sport’s world governing body announced today.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Council formally disqualified Jones from all competitions on or subsequent to September 1, 2000, in effect wiping nearly seven years from the sprinter’s competitive slate.
IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said that the Council will also recommend to the International Olympic Committee to disqualify the U.S. women’s 4x100 and 4x400 meter relay teams from the Sydney Games, “And to insist on the return of all medals and diplomas.”
But the governing body stopped short of recommending that controversial Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou, who was the silver medallist in the 100 behind Jones, be awarded the gold medal.
“The IOC will be sent any information on Thanou that we might have,” Davies said, adding that the controversy shrouding Thanou, who was given a two-year suspension for missing three dope tests, the last on the eve of the 2004 Games in Athens, was not lost on the governing body.
“There’s awareness to be sure, but we can’t decide not to give her the medal,” Davies said. “We will inform them of the decision but it’s really up to the IOC. They will decide what to do.”
But Thanou looks to benefit from the Jones disqualifications elsewhere. The Greek, 32, is likely to be elevated to the silver medal position in the 100 at the 2001 World Championships, where she originally finished third behind Jones. Bahamian Debbie Ferguson McKenzie, originally the silver medallist in the 200, is likely to be upgraded to gold in the longer sprint.
The IAAF will also request that Jones return all prize money awarded since September 2000, estimated at $700,000.
“We will ask for the money to be paid back,” said IAAF General Secretary Pierre Weiss. “But we won’t dream.” Weiss added that athletes who will be upgraded wouldn’t be paid additional prize money until Jones returns what she owes.
Jones, who has formally retired from athletics, declared bankruptcy earlier this year. If she decides on a comeback, Davies said, she wouldn’t be allowed to compete until all the money was returned.
Jones won gold medals in the 100, 200 and 4x400 relay in Sydney along with bronze medals in the long jump and 4x100 relay, becoming the first woman to win five medals at a single Olympics. Facing several criminal charges, Jones confessed last month to using banned performance enhancing drugs since September 2000. She also pleaded guilty to two counts of providing false statements to federal investigators and will be sentenced in January.
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