IAAF chief blasts Jones

IAAF president Lamine Diack believes disgraced American sprinter Marion Jones will be remembered as “one of the biggest frauds in sporting history”.

Diack spoke to PA Sport from his home in Dakar today after Jones admitted using the steroid THG during her glittering career.

Now Jones, who had admitted lying to federal investigators about her use of THG in 2003, is facing a six-month prison sentence and could be stripped of the five medals she won at the 2000 Olympic Games.

The leader of the Olympic movements biggest sport, said: “As President of the IAAF, it is with mixed emotions that I have learned about the confession of Marion Jones last night, in a courtroom in New York.

“First of all, I am deeply disappointed that an athlete with Marion Jones’ immense natural ability gave in to the corrupt, ’get-rich-quick’ spin of a dope dealer like Victor Conte,” Diack told PA Sport.

“If she had trusted to her own natural gifts and allied them to self-sacrifice and hard work I sincerely believe that she could have been an honest champion at the Sydney Games.

“Now, instead, Marion Jones will be remembered as one of the biggest frauds in sporting history.

“It is a tragedy, and I am glad that Marion Jones is aware not only of the damage that her action caused herself and her loved ones, but also her fans, her country and her sport of athletics, both in the USA and all over the world.

“A lot of people believed in the achievements of Marion Jones and this confession leaves a bitter taste, and tarnishes the image of a sport in which a majority of athletes are honest and clean.”

Diack believes the IAAF are winning the fight against drugs in the sport.

“As well as sadness, there is a feeling of satisfaction because this case shows that it doesn’t matter how big a name you are, or when the offence was committed, if you are doping, we will get you in the end,” he added.

“Since I became president of the IAAF in 1999, I have been determined to fight doping in our sport with all the means at our disposal.

“We have 11 full-time staff in the anti-doping department. We have a highly-developed system to check where athletes are, we have more testing, particularly out of competition, and cleverer testing which targets suspicious athletes.

“We are also working with our athletes to educate them about anti-doping, and we will continue to fight for four-year sanctions for those athletes who commit serious doping offences.

“But above all, the IAAF moves ahead in partnership with the IOC, WADA and national agencies such as USADA, the US independent anti-doping agency which has done a remarkable job since it was established in 2000.

“Together, we will stamp out doping wherever it rears its ugly head, and continue to fight passionately for the real values of sport.”

In 2003 Jones denied receiving any banned substances from Conte, head of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO), a commercial company based in San Francisco.