At her height, Marion Jones was on pace to become the greatest female athlete of all time. She had big time endorsements with Nike and Gatorade. Her amazing win at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where she became the first female athlete to win five medals, including three gold medals, was then a symbol of national pride. She even graced a Wheaties box.
http://www.thegrio.com/sports/marion-jones... In 2001, when The New York Times asked Jones if she was "the greatest female track star ever," she responded no and explained "you need longevity and consistency to be considered the greatest. I haven't even broken world records yet. In 10 or 15 years, we can then sit down and think about how great it all was. But not now."
As indicated by her numerous denials about taking performance-enhancing drugs, Jones never expected to end up where she is now. In December of 2007, the International Olympic Committee officially stripped her of the five medals she "won" in Sydney and banned her from competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In January 2008, Jones was sentenced to six months in prison for perjuring herself when questioned about her steroid use as well as her knowledge of a check-fraud scam.
So this is where the John Singleton-directed Marion Jones: Press Pause for ESPN's acclaimed 30 for 30 series seemingly picks up. Images of Marion Jones, from childhood races to a huge Nike ad as well as Jones draped in the American flag, set the mood before launching with a public service announcement from Marion Jones where she begins "Hi, I'm Marion Jones. I lost the five Olympic medals..."
Posted By: DAVID JOHNSON
Wednesday, November 3rd 2010 at 12:27PM
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