[2][3] Jones did retain her 3 titles as world champion from 1997–1999. I have let my country down and I have let myself down. Marion Lois Jones (born October 12, 1975), also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is a Belizean-American former world champion track and field athlete and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. But, things took a turn for the Olympiad as she was found guilty of doping during her five medal whitewash in the 2000 Olympic Games. Copyright © 2020. During the darkest hour of her life, she required a partner to support her, but that did not happen either. She frequently said that she had never tested positive for performance-enhancing substances; in her autobiography, she blamed the 2002 breakup of her marriage to C.J. Marion Lois Jones (born October 12, 1975), also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is a Belizean-American former world champion track and field athlete and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. On January 11, 2008, Karas sentenced Jones to six months in jail for her involvement in the check fraud case and her use of performance-enhancing drugs. [34] According to the Associated Press, Jones was heavily in debt and fighting off court judgments, according to court records reviewed by the Los Angeles Times. Similar Fitness Icon:- Brooke Wells Age, Boyfriend, Sister, Net Worth. Jones claimed she had never taken performance-enhancing drugs. As of now, the loving family of five lives happily, and the couple is often seen working hard to set an example for their children. At the Sydney Olympics, Jones finished with three gold medals (100 and 200 metre sprint, and 4x400m relay) and two bronze medals (long jump and 4x100m relay). Marion Jones was a treat to watch when she was in her prime. Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 28 November 2020, at 05:04. During the sentencing hearing, the judge admonished her, saying that she knew what she was doing and would be punished accordingly. She was invited to participate in the 1992 Olympic trials, and, after her showing in the 200 meters finals, would have made the team as an alternate in the 4×100 meters relay, but she declined the invitation. On her 2004 Olympics experience, Jones said "It's extremely disappointing, words can't put it into perspective. She was also forced to sell two other properties, including her mother's house, to raise money. May 2006 saw Jones run 11.06 at altitude but into a headwind in her season debut and beat Veronica Campbell and Lauryn Williams in subsequent 100 m events. Marion served a short sentence for hiding her crime and declared bankruptcy in 2007. Marion had a very difficult childhood; her mother was Belizean, while her father was an American. Jones lost her spot on the 1996 Olympic team because of an injury. The couple divorced in 2002. Her birthplace was Los Angeles, situated in California. Marion found a caring husband in Oba, and they even share three children; daughter Eva-Marie and two sons named Monty & Amir. And yet until 2007, Jones routinely denied—in almost every way possible and in almost any venue where the question arose—ever being involved with performance enhancers in any way, shape, or form. Her No. Hunter. [10] She gave birth to daughter Eva-Marie on June 28, 2009. As a result of these admissions, Jones accepted a two-year suspension from track and field competition issued by USADA, and announced her retirement from track and field on October 5, 2007. Jones, however, did claim the gold in both the 200 m and 4x100 m relay. On June 28, 2003, Jones gave birth to a son, Tim Montgomery Jr, with then-boyfriend Tim Montgomery, a world-class sprinter himself. 20 jersey, honored by the school, hangs in Carmichael Auditorium. [23] Hunter told the investigators that Jones first obtained EPO (Erythropoietin) from Graham, who Hunter said had a Mexican connection for the drug. "[24], USADA stated that their sanction "also requires disqualification of all her competitive results obtained after September 1, 2000, and forfeiture of all medals, results, points and prizes". EXCLUSIVE: Ex Olympic Track Star Marion Jones Sued for Foreclosure of Texas Home. Toler became a stay-at-home dad to Jones and her older half-brother, Albert Kelly, until his sudden death in 1987. [19] Jones made her debut on May 15, in the Shock's inaugural game at the BOK Center against the Minnesota Lynx. Jones' husband, C.J. [25] She was released from prison on September 5, 2008. However, just hours after Marion Jones won her first of the planned five golds, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Hunter had failed four pre-Olympic drug tests, testing positive each time for the banned anabolic steroid nandrolone. Marion Jones' rise played out on the world's biggest stage; so did her fall ... and now serves as a lesson for where we can go," Geer said. [4] The case against BALCO covered more than 20 top level athletes, including Jones's ex-husband, shot putter C.J. She started to participate in sports when she was 12, soon after her father's death. "[35] Riddick was arrested in February on money-laundering charges. She holds dual citizenship with the United States and Belize. On February 24, 2007, Jones married Barbadian sprinter and 2000 Olympic 100m bronze medalist Obadele Thompson. It is revealed that Toler took the responsibility of being a stay-at-home father to her and also for half-brother Albert Kelly, who was elder to her, until his u… Marion Jones' Bio. According to Hunter's 2004 testimony before a federal grand jury, Jones's use of banned drugs began well before Sydney. [2], On October 28, 2008, Jones was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey and stated that she would have won gold at the Sydney Olympics without the drugs that led to her disgrace.[32][33]. Montgomery later announced his retirement. [20] In 47 WNBA games, Jones averaged 2.6 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. On October 5, 2007, Jones pleaded guilty to making false statements to IRS Special Agent Jeff Novitzky leading the ongoing BALCO investigation in California. was the one accusing her.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'liverampup_com-banner-1','ezslot_4',146,'0','0'])); However, she did not give up on love and married Oba Thompson in February 2007. Marion is a former world champion track and field athlete and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. A dominant force in women's sprinting, Jones was upset in the 100 m sprint at the 2001 World Championships, as Ukrainian Zhanna Pintusevich-Block beat her for her first loss in the event in six years; Pintusevich-Block was one of the names revealed by Victor Conte during the BALCO scandals. Hunter, who claims to have seen Jones inject herself in the stomach with the steroids.[22]. In a published letter, Jones said she had used steroids until she stopped training with Graham at the end of 2002. Jones had never failed a drug test using the then-existing testing procedures, and insufficient evidence was found to bring charges regarding other untested performance-enhancing drugs. It was her fastest time in almost four years. [36] "The offenses here are serious. Although a maximum sentence of 5 years could be imposed, the prosecution recommended no more than 6 months as part of Jones's plea bargain. (Jones claimed she never received the letter notifying her of the required test; attorney Johnnie Cochran successfully got the four-year ban overturned. Ueberroth added that her admission was "long overdue and underscores the shame and dishonor that are inherent with cheating." Jones "red shirted" her 1996 basketball season to concentrate on track. Angela Burnham preceded her with the award at Rio Mesa, Kim Mortensen followed her with the award at Thousand Oaks. She earned $70K to $80K per race along with $1 million a year in brand endorsements deals. [13] She was selected the Gatorade Player of the Year for track and field three years in a row, once at Rio Mesa and twice at Thousand Oaks. But, during the 2000 Olympics, Marion defended her ex-husband and immediately revolted to his drugs allegations. She was the third female athlete to achieve the title twice, immediately following Angela Burnham at Rio Mesa High School, who was the second to achieve the title twice.[14]. At the time of her admission and subsequent guilty plea, Jones was one of the most famous athletes to be linked to the BALCO scandal. In high school, she became the fastest sprinter and sealed her spot in the US Olympic team.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'liverampup_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_12',145,'0','0'])); Athlete From Botswana:- Caster Semenya Wife, Gender, Salary, Family. Hunter was immediately suspended from taking any role at the Sydney games, and he was ordered to surrender his on-field coaching credentials. Throughout most of her athletic career including two Olympiads and several championship meets, Jones had been accused, either outright or by implication, of taking performance-enhancing drugs. She retained lawyer Howard Jacobs, who had represented many athletes in doping cases, including Tim Montgomery and cyclist Floyd Landis. IAAF president Lamine Diack said in a statement that, "Marion Jones will be remembered as one of the biggest frauds in sporting history. When Marion was charged with using drugs in 2004 with her ex-boyfriend, Tim Montgomery, C.J. Jones promised that her latest defeat would not be the end of her Olympic efforts, and reasserted in May 2005 that winning a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics remained her "ultimate goal.". Because of her pregnancy, Jones missed the 2003 World Championships but spent a year preparing for the 2004 Olympics. She was Track and Field News "High School Athlete of the Year" in 1991 and 1992. In the interview, Conte told a national audience that he had personally given Jones four different illegal performance-enhancing drugs before, during, and after the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Her parents got separated when she was still young, and post three years, her mother got remarried to a postal worker known as Ira Toler. She was successfully defended by attorney Johnnie Cochran on charges of doping during her high school track career. Those schools joined Jesuit High School (Sacramento) and Long Beach Polytechnic High School in having two athletes win the award. At the 1999 World Championships, Jones attempted to win four titles, but injured herself in the 200 m after a gold in the 100 m and a long jump bronze. The investigation into Montgomery's illegal substance use once more called into question Jones' own protests about not using steroids and never having been tested positive for steroids, especially in light of former trainer Trevor Graham's increasingly visible role in the BALCO case.