Olympic Great, Marion Jones jailed for six months

In October, esteemed Olympic gold medallist, Marion Jones admitted to taking illegal performance enhancing drugs during her once highly regarded career. Jones conceded she lied to federal investigators in November 2003 about taking the banned steroid Tetrahydrogestrinone between 2000 and 2001.

The multi-gold medallist previously sued Victor Conte, the founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) company, which marketed Tetrahydrogestrinone, for repeatedly accusing Jones of using performance enhancing drugs. Jones also protested that she did not know about a scam involving millions of dollars worth of forged and stolen cheques. Her former partner who is also the father of her first child, Tim Montgomery, was convicted along with several others for their involvement in the money-laundering scheme.

Jones won gold in the 100m, 200m and 400m relay, along with bronze in the long jump and 100m relay in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The former Olympian was stripped of all the medals and records she received during and after 2000. Hailed as the greatest female track star to ever grace the world of athletics, the mother of two was sentenced to six months in jail, a move that has been called ‘drastic’ and ‘racist’ by some. Despite pleading for leniency and being taken away from her two children, one of whom is still a baby, the tearful mother will now join the other one million African children whose mothers are incarcerated in North American prisons. During a statement given on the steps of the court following her conviction she said:

“It's with a great amount of shame that I stand before you and tell you that I have betrayed your trust. I have been dishonest, and you have the right to be angry with me. I have let my family down, I have let my country down, and I have let myself down. I want to ask for your forgiveness for my actions, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”