Marion Jones pleads guilty to lying over steroid use, announces retirement

Marion Jones pleads guilty to lying over steroid use, announces retirement - Chaneelnewsasia.com

WHITE PLAINS - US track star Marion Jones announced her retirement from athletics on Friday and made an emotional plea for forgiveness from her fans, shortly after admitting to taking banned drugs.

Jones pleaded guilty to lying about her use of banned drugs to US agents, in a move that could see the American sprinter put behind bars.

The 31-year-old Jones, who has dodged doping allegations for years, entered the plea at a US District Court in New York state.

In a statement read out to the court, Jones admitted using the steroid THG, produced by the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (BALCO) and known as "the clear," between September 2000 and July 2001.

Those dates were in contrast to the dates contained in a letter Jones earlier reportedly sent to family and friends in which the sprinter was said to have admitted to using banned drugs before the Sydney Olympics.

Jones won five medals including three golds at the 2000 Games. "Link"