Sonia lost out to the drug cheats, but she won by a mile in the end

THE spectacular fall from grace of Marion Jones, the 32-year-old US sprinter who was sentenced to six months in prison last week for lying to federal prosecutors about her steroid use, is a reminder of how difficult it can be to take professional athletics seriously in the modern era.

The sentence imposed by a US district court was the final act in a tragedy (or perhaps farce) after the previous act last October when she sobbed her way through an apology to her family and fans.

It was the ultimate humiliation for the golden girl of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney where she won five medals — three of them gold. She was made fabulously wealthy through endorsements.