and Boldon (19.80 sec.). hide caption. Jones withdrew from the Weltklasse Golden League meet in Switzerland, citing personal reasons, and once more denied using performance-enhancing drugs. WHITE PLAINS The former track star Marion Jones's tearful courtroom plea to avoid jail was denied Friday by a federal judge who said her sentence should serve as a deterrent for . But Jones' passion was sprinting, and before the beginning of her junior year, she decided to leave the Tar Heels to concentrate on track and field. I am sorry for disappointing you all in so many ways," the Post reported Jones said in the letter. I think people generally put celebrities -- I'm not necessarily putting myself in that group -- on a certain level. She was successfully defended by attorney Johnnie Cochran on charges of doping during her high school track career. He is the first and only man to go under the 6-second barrier in that event. She frequently said that she had never tested positive for performance-enhancing substances; in her autolife story, she blamed the 2002 breakup of her marriage to C.J. I'm at a good point in my life. And when the heroes don't live up to that "There are a lot of peole who will never forgive me for my poor choices. Know how She earned most of networth at the age of 45 years of age. I want to focus on what I'm doing, and that's what the show did. In the end, Jones and several of her colleagues were among those ensnared in the federal investigation of BALCO. He twice recorded the fastest junior 100 m time (10.18 sec.) That's just not my story. Jones appears in the 2003 film Top Speed, along with other speed specialists such as racing driver Lucas Luhr, mountain biker Marla Streb, and Porsche Cayenne designer Stephen Murkett. I like to know what's going on and I like to prepare," she said. Riddick also received three years probation and must pay back $375,000. [6] He has also been listed as one of UTEP's all-time top 10 male athletes.[7]. And yet until 2007, Jones routinely deniedin almost every way possible and in almost any venue where the question aroseever being involved with performance enhancers in any way, shape, or form. Injuries struck again months later in the semifinals of the 100 and 200 metres (groin and hamstring strains, respectively) at the 1996 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. I'm helping people to make the right choices. In the run-up to the 2000 Olympics, Jones declared that she intended to win gold medals in all five of her competition events at Sydney. She stated that when she first used a steroid, she thought it to be flaxseed oil but later learned it to be designer steroid THG. As a result of these admissions, Jones accepted a two-year suspension from track and field competition issued by USADA, and announced her retirement from track and field on October 5, 2007. Her crowning athletic achievement was at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where she won three gold medals and two bronze medals. Jones won the California state championship as a sprinter four years in a row, representing Rio Mesa and Thousand Oaks high schools. Thompson sustained a groin injury during that race, forcing him to miss practice for a week. I will respect the judges orders. Marion Jones remains relatively quiet when it comes to sharing her personal life and makes it a point to stay out of the public eye. The three-time Olympic gold medalist also announced her retirement from the sport on Friday. After rounding into form on European track circuit, he injured his big toe while placing second to Maurice Greene in the 100 m at the Monaco Golden League meeting,[30] forcing him to return to the US for treatment six weeks before the 2000 Sydney Games. Marion Jones walks with her husband Obadele Thompson after she leaves court January 11, 2008 in White Plains, New York. Obadele completed his final year in the junior (under-20) category by dominating the yearly global 100 m performance list. Performances at international competitions, US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, College Sports Information Directors of America, Pan American Junior Athletics Championships, Central American and Caribbean Championships, International Association of Athletic Federations, Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships, "USTFCCCA Collegiate Track and Field Records::: USTFCCCA", "NCAA DI Indoor Championships Mens Results", "Western Athletic Conference Official Site WAC Awards", "Top 10 male athletes of all time at UTEP The Prospector", "Ten Student-Athletes with Perfect 4.0 Grade-Point Averages Named to GTE Academic All-America Men's At-Large Teams", "Top 10 Seniors Past Honorees The University of Texas at El Paso", "Sergent, Thompson To Enter UTEP Track Hall of Fame", "Class of 2011 Drake Relays Hall Of Famers Inducted Tonight In Sheslow Auditorium Ceremony", "Obadele O. Thompson (Oba) King & Spalding", "USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame Class of 2016 Announced::: USTFCCCA", "Thompson Takes a Risk and Comes Up Limping", "Track & Field News World Rankings Men's 200", "Track & Field News World Rankings Men's 100", "IAAF: 100 Metres Result | Herculis Zepter | iaaf.org", "IAAF: Second best all-time for Lebedeva in Yokohama| News | iaaf.org", "Prof. Vibert Tyrrel, pastor of the Union Hill African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wilsons Mills, told Reuters in a telephone interview from his home in New Bern, North Carolina. But in the letter to her family and friends, Jones maintained that she did not know she had used the banned drugs until she stopped training with coach Trevor Graham at the end of 2002. He moved up the Track & Field News rankings to #4 in the 200 m in the world. She was Track and Field News High School Athlete of the Year in 1991 and 1992. a 2004 report in the San Francisco Chronicle said that Jones' ex-husband, . Marion Jones grew up to George Jones and his wife, Marion, (originally from Belize) in Los Angeles, California. The investigation into Montgomerys illegal substance use once more called into question Jones own protests about not using steroids and never having been tested positive for steroids, especially in light of former trainer Trevor Grahams increasingly visible role in the BALCO case. Marion Jones walks with her husband Obadele Thompson after she leaves court January 11, 2008 in White Plains, New York. He practices international arbitration and litigation.[14]. You sound so surprised by that. One was impaneled to investigate the BALCO designer steroid ring, and the other was impaneled to investigate a check fraud ring involving many of the same parties from the BALCO case. Marion Jones was sentenced to. What was your reaction to Lance Armstrong being banned from racing for life and having all his results disqualified for using performance-enhancing drugs? She spent a few minutes talking with Playbook about her life after. The content of Jones' letter was a stunning admission for an athlete who has been unequivocal in her denial that she cheated her way to Olympic stardom. As a collegian, he won four individual NCAA sprint titles: indoor 200 m (1996 and 1997)[3][4] and the outdoor 100 and 200 metres (1997). Jones admitted she used steroids before the games in a recent letter to family and friends, The Washington Post reported Thursday. in Yokohama, Japan. VIOLENT, FILTHY PRISON She is from CA. She credits her husband for facilitating her transition from sports to business. Marion Jones Admits Using Steroids Olympic champion . Less than a year after her first child was born, Jones took the 100-meter Home Depot Invitational in Los Angeles winning it in 10.99 seconds. No consideration was taken for the fact that she has been shamed, that she has lost her medals, that she has been brought to financial ruin. [25], In the summer of 1998, Thompson relocated to Austin, Texas to work with Dan Pfaff, who had coached Bailey to the 1996 Olympic 100 m title. She was invited to participate in the 1992 Olympic trials, and, after her showing in the 200 meters finals, would have made the team as an alternate in the 4100 meters relay, but she declined the invitation. Her crowning athletic achievement was at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where she won three gold medals and two bronze medals. It's worth it. They entertain, they inspire and perhaps most importantly, they serve as role models for kids around the world. Marion Jones pleaded guilty in October to lying to federal agents about her use of performance-enhancing drugs. With Thompson, she has two kids Eva Marie and Ahmir Thompson. Marion Jones of the U.S. smiles after winning the women's 100-metre race at the IAAF Super Grand Prix athletics meeting in Lausanne in this file photo from July 11, 2006. and placed fourth in the 200 m, although he and Boldon both ran 20.20 sec. But Jones passed another milestone three years later. His comments were the first about the February 24 ceremony, which had been rumored for days. Young people are real. She even sued Victor Conte, the head of BALCO, after he described her drug use. In high school, Jones won the CIF California State Meet in the 100 m sprint four years in a row, representing Rio Mesa the first two years and Thousand Oaks high school the last two. These accusations began in high school in the early 1990s when she missed a random drug test and consequently was banned for four years from track and field competition. That is what everyone is striving for. Marion Jones is currently married to Obadele Thompson. Hunter, admitted he used steroids and told a grand jury that Jones did, too. Creative Editorial Marion Jones Sentenced For Lying About Steroid Use NEW YORK - JANUARY 11: Marion Jones (L) stands with her husband Obadele Thompson after she leaves court January 11, 2008 in White Plains, New York. The questions are direct. Jones married Obadele Thompson in February 2007, and they live with their three children, Eva Marie, Monty, and Amir, in Austin, Texas. But Karas said those consequences had followed from Joness decision to break the rules of international competition, not the law, and would not affect his sentence. All of these are different. Jones, who lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, former sprinter Obadele Thompson, said her focus would now be on her family. I thought about going back. Today, she's a public speaker and author and has turned a dark period of her life into a learning experience for others with her Take A Break program, which encourages people to think about the potentially life-altering consequences of their decisions. In the interview, Conte told a national audience that he had personally given Jones four different illegal performance-enhancing drugs before, during, and after the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Tweet. and stood for 12 years until Tyson Gay ran a wind-aided 9.68 sec. The athlete is currently single, her starsign is Libra and she is now 47 years of age. The questions are direct. She was previously married to American shot putter C.J. Tilting the Level Playing Field? Days later, on 17 September, he won the 100 m bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, behind Boldon and Fredericks, after leaving the starting blocks last. On February 24, 2007, Jones married Barbadian sprinter and 2000 Olympic 100m bronze medalist Obadele Thompson. Kevin Frayer/AP/The Canadian Press In November 2009, Jones was working out for the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA. Jones said she lied to federal agents in 2003 because she panicked when they showed her a sample of a banned substance called "the clear" and realized it was what Graham had given her. Jones turned to sports as an outlet for her grief; running, pickup basketball games, and anything else her brother Albert was doing athletically. Obadele is the biological father to Ahmir (2007) and Eva-Marie (2009). Her initial urine sample tested positive for the banned performance enhancer Erythropoietin (EPO) after she won last years U.S. 100 meters title, however, the B sample was negative and Jones was cleared of doping allegations. Jones acknowledged using steroids before the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney, Australia, in a letter to her family and friends, according to a story in The Washington Post. ), and the second-fastest 100 m in 1998 (0.01 sec. from the University of Texas School of Law. At the Sydney Olympics, Jones finished with three gold medals (100 and 200 metre sprint, and 4x400m relay) and two bronze medals (long jump and 4x100m relay). Soon, it became apparent that Jones tended to train with both coaches and athletes who themselves were dogged by rumors and accusations surrounding performance-enhancing drugs. The media loves to lump us together. He again showed promise by winning the 100 m in the under-17 age division at the 1991 CARIFTA Games in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The boxers Baltimore upbringing. She also filed a $25 million lawsuit against the owner of BALCO, the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative, who admitted during a grand jury probe that he provided Jones with steroids. Who Is Marion Jones's Husband? OK, we'll go with that. shattered the old mark of 20.59 sec. He pleaded not guilty to three counts of lying to federal agents and is scheduled for trial Nov. 26. He has also served variously as a speaker and panellist on matters related to sports management, performance, and anti-doping. Jones claimed she had never taken performance-enhancing drugs. behind Greene (9.87 sec.) [18] He also won the Jamaica Junior National Championships in the 100 m (as a visiting athlete), the CAC Junior Championships in the 100 and 200 metres, placed fourth in the 100 m at the World Junior Championships and was the youngest semifinalist in 100 m at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada. In July 2006, Jones was linked to a check-counterfeiting scheme that led to criminal charges against her coach and former boyfriend Montgomery. We have estimated Marion Joness net worth, money, salary, income, and assets. On October 5, 2007, Jones pleaded guilty to making false statements to IRS Special How old?nt Jeff Novitzky leading the ongoing BALCO investigation in California. and ran 8 of the 11 fastest junior 100 m times that year. Thompson raced sparingly and unremarkably in 2004, and just weeks before the 2004 Athens Olympics his participation was doubtful due to various injuries. Marion Jones' House in Austin, TX (Google Maps) Austin, Texas (TX), US. He set two NCAA records: indoor 55 m (1997) and indoor 200 m (1996). Jones runs a business and is a fitness trainer with Camp Gladiator. (+2.1m/s wind). She began her sentence on March 7, 2008, and was released on September 5, 2008. Are there still a lot of haters out there? Hunter told the investigators that Jones first obtained EPO (Erythropoietin) from Graham, who Hunter said had a Mexican connection for the drug. He allowed me to fulfill my dreams and he was the caretaker of the kids. On June 28, 2003, Jones gave birth to a son, Tim Montgomery Jr, with then-boyfriend Tim Montgomery, a world-class sprinter himself. Her first child was with CJ, and his name is Tim. At the 1999 World Championships, Jones attempted to win four titles, but injured herself in the 200m after a gold in the 100m and a long jump bronze. Jones told the kids that everyone makes mistakes and that its essential to surround oneself with positive friends. Find Marion Joness Bio details, How old?, How tall, Physical Stats, Romance/Affairs, Family and career upbeen in a relationship with?s. In the course of investigative research, San Francisco based reporters Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada reported Jones had received banned drugs from BALCO, citing documentary evidence and testimony from Joness ex-husband C.J. Two years later, Jones won the gold medal in the 100-meter and the bronze medal in the long jump at the 1999 World Championship. outside Bailey's world record Olympic victory of 9.84 sec. Jones had vehemently refused that shed used steroids before the Olympics. I hope he gets closure. The years 20022009 were very lean ones for Obadele, characterised primarily by recurring and new injuries and scant appearances on the track. His time of 20.26 sec. Still later, Hunter told federal agents, Jones began receiving drugs directly from Conte. Thompson won several Athlete of the Year awards, including the UTEP Athlete of the Year (1996 and 1997), US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division I Male Indoor Athlete of the Year (1997), and the Stan Bates WAC Male Student-Athlete of the Year (1997). Not deterred, in early 1993, Thompson contacted Hall of Fame former UTEP head track coach, Bob Kitchens,[15] who had trained Nigerian sprinter, Olapade Adeniken, to the 1992 NCAA Outdoor 100 and 200 metres titles. She was assigned Federal Bureau of Prisons register no. Thompson has been involved with the Barbados Special Olympics and featured in an advertising campaign against drug abuse for the United Nations Drug Control Programme. However, just hours after Marion Jones won her first of the planned five golds, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Hunter had failed four pre-Olympic drug tests, testing positive each time for the banned anabolic steroid nandrolone. "I want to apologize for all of this. Thompson was a three-time USTFCCCA Academic All-American (19951997). On her 2004 Olympics experience, Jones said Its extremely disappointing, words cant put it into perspective. She came in fifth in the Long Jump and competed in the womens 4100m relay where they swept past the competition in the preliminaries only to miss a baton pass in the final race. Find Marion Jones's Bio details, How old?, How tall, Physical Stats, Romance/Affairs, Family and career upbeen in a relationship with?s. Hunter, who claims to have seen Jones inject herself in the stomach with the steroids. I am troubled, quite frankly, by the statement, he said. Nothing elaborate, just a quiet, very small wedding, added Tyrrel, a native of the South American nation of Guyana who said he was related to 30-year-old Thompson and had known the Barbados sprinter for a long time. She was as much of a stand-out on the basketball court as she was in track and field, walking away with a NCAA title in her freshman season and a game average of 17.1 points in her sophomore year. Marion Lois Jones (born October 12, 1975), also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is a Belizean-American former world champion track and field athlete and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. On January 11, 2008, Jones was sentenced to 6 months in jail. fourth-place clocking became the then-fastest performance not to make a 100 m semifinal. She is to report to a facility near her home in Austin, Tex., on March 11. I got cut in 2011. She asked that their privacy be respected. Seven years after winning a womens record five Olympic track and field medals and receiving multimillion-dollar endorsement deals, Jones was broke. Marion Jones grew up on 12 October, 1975 in Los Angeles, CA. Later Friday, Karas sentenced one of Joness former coaches, Steve Riddick, to five years and three months in jail for his involvement in the bank-fraud scheme that ensnared Jones. Im helping people to make the right choices., Insidious is not based on a true story Its real-life connections explained, What we know about Aaron Pauls wife, Lauren Parsekian, A Closer look at Rihannas dating history, Instagram page reveals her passion for fitness and advocacy, Who are Lamine Yamals parents? I want to make them realize no one is above the law.. USADA stated that their sanction also requires disqualification of all her competitive results obtained after September 1, 2000, and forfeiture of all medals, results, points and prizes. After a stellar high school career, Marion Jones went to the 2000 Summer Olympics, where she won three gold medals and two bronze medals. By July 8, 2006, Jones appeared to be in top form; she won the 100m sprint at Gaz de France with a time of 10.93seconds. The criminal penalties for perjury, Karas ominously noted before sending Jones into the arms of her husband, the sprinter Obadele Thompson, have nothing to do with the forfeiture of medals and . Obadele Thompson, Marion Jones's husband. The evidence included doping calendars and testimony from a doctor that indicated Jones had used the blood-boosting drug EPO and human growth hormone. But when they hear me speak, they have their own opinion. Angela Burnham preceded her with the award at Rio Mesa, Kim Mortensen followed her with the award at Thousand Oaks. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. "I want to apologize for all of this. On June 28, 2003, she and her then-boyfriend, Olympic sprinter Tim Montgomery, gave birth to a son. But I talk about my mistakes. Four months later, Jones won the 100-meter at the 1997 World Championships in Athens, sprinting her way to victory in just 10.83 seconds. Sometimes my people have their walls up to see what's coming my way. In August 1993, Thompson left Barbados on an athletic scholarship to become part of UTEP's long legacy of outstanding track and field athletes, which includes: Bob Beamon (1968 Olympic long jump champion), Suleiman Nyambui (1980 Olympic 5000 m silver medalist), Bert Cameron (1983 World Champion in the 400 m), Blessing Okagbare (2008 Olympic long jump silver medalist), and Churandy Martina (European Champion in the 100 and 200 metres). That case was later settled. NEW YORK - JANUARY 11: Marion Jones (L) walks with her husband Obadele Thompson after she leaves court January 11, 2008 in White Plains, New York. en route to winning the 100 m at the World Cup in Athletics in Johannesburg, South Africa, erasing the championship record set by Ben Johnson in 1985. While there, she met and began dating one of the track coaches, shot putter C.J. I messed up, and I'm doing something to contribute back to community. Jones acknowledged using steroids before the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney, Australia, in a letter to her family and friends, according to a story in The Washington Post. Jones would later write in her autolife story, Marion Jones: Life in the Fast Lane, that Hunters positive drug tests hurt their marriage and her image as a drug-free athlete. I don't know their life. He said he wanted Jones to use her experiences to help young athletes avoid the choices she made. She moved on after accepting that some people will never forgive her for cheating. 84868-054. During the sentencing hearing, the judge admonished her, saying that she knew what she was doing and would be punished accordingly. The U.S. Olympic Team once dubbed Marion Jones "the world's fastest mom," but she could not run fast enough to escape the doping charges that have plagued her since she won five medals at the 2000 Olympics. In the end, Jones and several of her colleagues were among those ensnared in the federal investigation of BALCO. Her ex-husband Hunter, an Olympic shot-putter and confessed steroid user, testified under oath that he had seen her inject drugs into her stomach in the Olympic Village in Sydney. in the semifinals, which was 0.10 sec. In the BALCO case, she had denied to federal agents her use of the steroid Tetrahydrogestrinone, known as The Clear, or THG, from 1999, but claimed she was given the impression she was taking a flaxseed oil supplement for two years while coach Trevor Graham supplied her with the substance. He was also not invited to the top American junior track meets for similar reasons. She went on the offensive in 2004, launching a high-profile public relations campaign when the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency began investigating her. She was the third female athlete to achieve the title twice, immediately following Angela Burnham at Rio Mesa High School, who was the second to achieve the title twice. Obadele Thompson and Marion Lois Jones attend FOR COLORED GIRLS, New York Special Screening at Ziegfeld Theater on October 25, 2010 in New York City. (Jones claimed she never received the letter notifying her of the required test; attorney Johnnie Cochran successfully got the four-year ban overturned.) Where Is Marion Jones Now? The International Olympic Committee and track and fields federation have wiped her results from the books starting from the summer of 2000, when she said she started using steroids. Despite this season-altering injury, Thompson helped UTEP finish second overall at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, as part of the 4 100 m and 4 400 m relays. Her two marriages have averaged 9.7 years each. On September 6, 2006, Joness lawyers announced that her B sample had tested negative, which cleared her from the doping allegations. On March 10, 2010, the Tulsa Shock announced that Jones had signed to play with the team, making the professional minimum (about $35,000) in her first season. Know net worth is She in this year and how She do with money?? He pleaded not guilty to three counts of lying to federal agents and is scheduled for trial Nov. 26. She had been selected in the 3rd round of the 2003 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury. The federal government, through grand juries, had been investigating steroid abuse since 2003. You see the heroes that you emulate. Two weeks later, in his season-opening 100 m, he clocked the fastest time ever recorded by a human under any conditionsa wind-assisted time of 9.69 sec.which could not be ratified as an official world record because the tailwind (+5m/s) far exceeded the +2.0m/s legal limit. Without a shadow of a doubt it was them, Tyrrel said of American Jones, triple gold medalist from the 2000 Olympics, and Thompson, who won 100 meters bronze at the same Games. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. They have three children. Montgomery later announced his retirement. He was the youngest semifinalist in the 200 m at the World (Senior) Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, and won a silver medal in the 100 m at the World University Games in Fukuoka, Japan. Hunter (m. 19982002). ", "I've met him a couple of times. Jones had adamantly defended herself against allegations of steroid use before the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where she won five medals. By Maggie Jones. The three-time gold medal winner has now pleaded guilty Friday to charges connected to steroid use in a federal court in White Plains, N.Y. after persistently denying that she ever used performance-enhancing drugs. in the 100 m[17] (broken in 1998 by Dwain Chambers). Those schools joined Jesuit High School (Sacramento) and Long Beach Polytechnic High School in having two athletes win the award. When a federal grand jury in San Francisco began to hear testimony in 2004, more allegations against Jones surfaced. Directed by Greg MacGillivray and shot in IMAX format, the film covers details from races to mistakes she made within her performances. But Jones passed another milestone three years later. [20] His time of 20.36 sec. "It's been a long process dealing with the backlash from his whole situation. Throughout most of her athletic career including two Olympiads and several championship meets, Jones had been accused, either outright or by implication, of taking performance-enhancing drugs. After the sentence, Jones hugged her husband, the former sprinter Obadele Thompson, and cried as she buried her face in his shoulder. Despite attending one of the top academic high schools in the Caribbean and being among the best sprinters in his age group in the world, he was initially not recruited by any universities because Barbados was then only known for being a top tourist destination and producing outstanding cricketers, not sprinters. Marion Joness income source is mostly from being a successful . Their parents might have told them something. She said she lied when federal agents questioned her in 2003 because she panicked when they presented her with a sample of The Clear. I know how hard it's been to carry it around. [2], Obadele's Olympic success followed an outstanding collegiate career at the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP) where he amassed several prestigious awards for his academics, athletics, and leadership. They are expected to do right and expected to be great. Later, Hunter said, Graham met Conte, who began providing the coach with BALCO nutritional supplements, which were actually an experimental class of designer steroids said to be undetectable by any drug screening procedures available at the time. Her story was told on November 19, 2012's episode of the "Life After" show. She won three gold medals and two bronze medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, but was later stripped of the titles after admitting to steroid use. Her parents split when she was very young, and Joness mother remarried a retired postal worker, Ira Toler, three years later. Again in 2007, she married Odabele Thompson. But Jones' passion was sprinting, and before the beginning of her junior year, she decided to leave the Tar Heels to concentrate on track and field. The footballers African roots, What is Sofia Richies ethnicity? I don't think I lived up to my expectations. It is an unexpected turn in the career of the Los Angeles, Calif., native, who has been a track and field star since high school in the early 1990s. . Two years later, Jones won the gold medal in the 100-meter and the bronze medal in the long jump at the 1999 World Championship. Marion is a former world champion track and field athlete and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. In 1998, he became a UTEP Alumni Association Top Ten Senior awardee,[9] and received the NCAA Today's Top VIII Award (now the NCAA Today's Top 10) for outstanding leadership, athletics and academics, along with two-time NFL Super Bowl Champion, Peyton Manning, who attended the University of Tennessee. I've been asked the question for many years. Jones sobbed into the shoulder of her husband, Olympic sprinter Obadele Thompson. So people don't even need to ask me. It's Nothing New, Track Star Marion Jones to Admit Steroid Use, Track Olympian Reportedly Admits to Steroid Use, Track Coach Charged with Obstruction in Balco Case, Secondary Doping Tests Clear Marion Jones' Name, Sports Doping Scandal Threatens Reputations, BALCO Head Confirms Doping, Ties M. Jones to Steroid Use, Doping Scandals, Security and U.S. Summer Olympic Teams, Doping Scandal Clouds Marion Jones' Olympic Bid.