US Athlete Marion Jones Pleads Guilty To Doping

By Karyn Chenoweth Oct 5, 2007, 15:21 GMT

Former world champion sprinter Marion Jones has admitted to using steroids prior to winning three gold medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the Washington Post reported late Thursday 04 October 2007. Jones has reportedly claimed that a coach gave her a purported nutritional supplement that she later learned was a designer steroid. EPA/FABRICE COFFRINI

US Athlete Marion Jones won three gold medals at the 2000 Olympics. Now the
Olympian is due to plead guilty to lying about using steroids in the run-up to the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where she won her medals.

CNN reports that Jones's New York court appearance comes a day after the Washington Post reported she had sent letters to family and friends apologizing for drug use.

The International Olympic Committee said it knew Jones intended to plead guilty.

She faces losing her medals.

Jones has previously denied using drugs to aid performance, despite rumors and suspicions.

Jones failed one blood test last year but was cleared of doping when a second test for the blood-booster erythropoietin (EPO) proved negative.

'I am sorry' According to the letter she sent to close family and friends, CNN reports that Jones said she had taken a steroid known as "the clear" for two years from 1999.

She said it was given to her by her former coach and that she had taken it thinking it was flax seed oil, a nutritional supplement.

"I want to apologise for all of this," the Post quoted her letter as saying. "I am sorry for disappointing you all in so many ways."

The athlete, who became the first woman to win five medals at a single Olympic Games in 2000, said she could face up to six months in prison, the Post reported.

In a statement issued on Friday, the IOC said: "The IOC has learnt about Marion Jones' intention to plead guilty to lying to federal agents about her use of performance-enhancing substances during her career."

The IOC launched an investigation in 2004 into doping allegations involving Ms Jones, connected to the US Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (Balco).

Progress in the Balco inquiry had been slow because it was difficult to gather findings, the statement said.

"The information that Marion Jones might provide later on today may prove to be key in moving this case forward," it added.