IAAF clear way for Jones to lose medals

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) have cleared the way for disgraced drugs cheat Marion Jones to be stripped of her Sydney Olympic Games medals by annulling all her results back to 2000.

The IAAF Council, which also imposed a two-year suspension, recommended to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board that they disqualify Jones and the USA women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams from the Sydney Games in 2000 and insist on the return of all medals.

Jones, who has announced her retirement, admitted at a New York court appearance in October to using the steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) from September 1 2000.

Jones would have to return all money she earned from IAAF competitions during the period she was cheating if she had a change of heart and wanted to return to competition in October 2009.

The IAAF did not make any recommendation in its report to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for Ekaterina Thanou to be awarded the Sydney 100 metres gold medal.

Thanou, who finished second in Sydney, was herself pulled out of the 2004 Games on home soil in Greece and then suspended for two years after missing an out-of-competition drugs test.

“What we will do now is the inform the IOC of our decision to disqualify Marion Jones. It is up to them to decide what further action to take,” said IAAF communications director Nick Davies in relation to the awarding of the Sydney 100m title.

The American star, who has announced her retirement, would have to repay in the region of US700,000 dollars if she wanted to make a comeback.

That sum only involves cash she received as an individual in IAAF competitions and nothing she collected in relay events and at Golden League and Grand Prix events.

Jones’ behaviour also means USA women’s relay teams will lose the numerous global medals they won throughout the period that Jones was using the designer drug known as ’the clean’.

But the IAAF does not intend pursuing Jones for the money she picked-up as a team member or from her former colleague.

“Adding a proportion of what she won in the relays or on the circuit? Forget it, it would not be realistic,” said IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss. “It is difficult to implement.”

Jones made it even more difficult last week by filing for bankruptcy.

Davies stressed: “According to IAAF rules even if Marion comes back she will have to pay back the money before she can run.”