PARIS — The IAAF will meet today to discuss Marion Jones’ doping case, including whether to officially erase her Olympic and world championship results. Jones’ relay teammates could also lose their medals.
Jones retired in October after admitting that she took the designer steroid “the clear” from September 2000 to July 2001.
She won gold medals in the 100, 200 and 1,600-meter relay in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, as well as bronzes in the 400 relay and long jump.
Jones has returned her five Olympic medals and agreed to forfeit all results dating to Sept. 1, 2000.
But the International Association of Athletics Federation and International Olympic Committee must still change the record books and revise the medals.
IAAF president Lamine Diack has branded Jones “one of the biggest frauds in sporting history.”
USA Track & Field has recommended a two-year ban for Jones, even though she has retired. But the IAAF council could decide to push for an even longer ban to ensure that Jones doesn’t come out of retirement to make a comeback.
The IAAF would need to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to seek a harsher ban.
“Do we send out a strong message? Do we accept and close the door on this or do we go to CAS?” IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said. “Is (two years) enough?”
Davies said the IAAF, which holds a two-day council meeting in Monaco, also might consider whether to ask Jones to pay back hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money and appearance fees. Jones, however, is reportedly broke.
“The normal procedure would be to request the return of the prize money,” Davies said.
The IOC is awaiting recommendations from the IAAF before deciding on how to revise Jones’ medals, and may ultimately have to decide whether her Olympic relay teammates are stripped of theirs.
