In October of 2007 Belize’s golden girl Marion Jones broke our
hearts when she admitted lying to federal investigators about using steroids.
Since then she’s been stripped of her medals, she’s fallen on hard
times – some reports say she is bankrupt - and she’s just finished
serving 6 months in a federal prison. Marion Jones was released from jail in
September and recently sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey which aired
today. It ran for a full hour and in it Marion, a now convicted felon, told
Oprah why she knowingly and willingly lied.
[Excerpts from Interview]
Marion Jones,
“It was just all of these things running through my mind. I thought
of my family. I thought about how proud they were when I won the medals and
then when I achieved success and then how disappointed they would be. I thought
about my kids, or my kid at the time, I only had one at the time. I thought
about my finances, I thought about sponsors.
If I had just taken a break, if I had stopped the interview that I was
having with the prosecutors, walked out of the room, spoke with my attorneys,
just taken five minutes, I think things would be different.
I think an athlete on the highest level Oprah you know your body…but
nothing felt different. I felt strong, I felt powerful, I do all the time.”
And because of her confession, Jones’ had to return her medals 
to the International Olympic Committee. She told Oprah why that was hard.
Marion Jones,
“It wasn’t as difficult to give back the medals because it is
not about the hardware, it is just hardware but it is the memories that will
be tarnished, knowing that me crossing the finish line. I remember crossing
the line and looking up and seeing my mother and seeing my family and just the
pride in their face and you can’t take that back.
There are moments when I would go through the races in my head quietly,
privately, and I would ask myself if you hadn’t been given the Clear do
you think you would have won, do you think you would have ran fast, you think
you would have beaten everybody and I usually answer yes. I still think I would
have won but just because there is a question mark, to me it is not fair.
No, I will never run again.”
As we said Marion is a convicted felon and she is on two years probation.
She also has to do community service. She has two sons: one 5 years old son
and the other only one.
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