Jones 'returns Olympic medals'
Jones could face six months in prison for lying to investigators
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Monday, 08, Oct 2007 10:38
Disgraced sprinter Marion Jones has reportedly handed back the five Olympic medals she won in the 2000 Games in Sydney.
The Reuters news agency claims that a representative for Jones, New York attorney Henry DePippo, has confirmed an unnamed source's assertion that she has given up the medals won while taking the banned substance THG.
The 31-year-old admitted last week that she had misled federal investigators when she denied taking performance-enhancing drugs.
Jones has been extensively questioned as a client of the Balco laboratories that have been linked to a series of steroid scandals through American sport.
Her admission, which comes after years of stoutly defending her reputation against persistent rumours, was followed by a prediction from the World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would remove her achievements from the record books.
"The IOC opened up a file on Jones after Sydney and we now have full admission, so I don't think it will take much time to respond," Pound said.
While the IOC are unable to confirm whether the medals had been surrendered by Jones, it could now face a dilemma over the retrospective award of her 100 metres gold.
The second-placed athlete in the race was Katerina Thanou of Greece who has recently completed a two-year doping ban.