When the Checks Stop Coming In

Posted by Bossip Staff

The future is not looking bright for former track star Marion Jones:

The world governing body of athletics has handed disgraced sprinter Marion Jones a two-year ban for doping and annulled all her results dating back to September 2000, including her Olympic and world championship titles. The International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) also told Jones to return an estimated $700,000 in prize money and recommended that her United States relay teammates be disqualified and lose their medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Jones retired last month after pleading guilty to lying to federal investigators in 2003 and admitted that she had taken the designer steroid “the clear” from September 2000 to July 2001. Jones won gold medals in the 100 meters, 200 and the 1,600-meter relay in Sydney, as well as bronzes in the 400 relay and long jump. She won the 200 world title in 2001. Jones has returned her five Olympic medals and agreed to forfeit all results dating to Sept. 1, 2000. IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said Jones can’t compete again unless she pays back the approximate $700,000 in prize money. Even though Jones has retired, she is officially suspended until Oct. 7, 2009. Jones would have to give the IAAF 12 months’ notice if she wants to return to competition after the ban, Davies said.

700K in payback dollars might not be that easy to come up with, especially since those Nike checks stopped coming in a while ago.

Via CNN