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First of all, I would like to say a few words about the talent of Marion Jones. She was an exceptional athlete (even before the steroid abuse). I suppose that's why it absolutely baffles me as to why she took steroids. Now, to the real point of this!

I think it's absolutely fair that she was jailed. But fair doesn't always seem to exist in the life of Marion Jones. After all, she spent the latter end of her career having the unfair advantage over her opponents. I think that 6 months is a just punishment (combined with 200 hours community service).

She was jailed for perjury, resulting from her lying about her steroid use. The greatest problem I have with Jones' steroid use is that she was, as I have mentioned before, a naturally gifted athlete beforehand. She ruined her chances of being one of the greats of track and field just to gain an advantage that she probably didn't even need.

I'm not 100% sure that she is solely responsible for this though. She was married to her former track coach at the University of South Carolina, C J Hunter (who himself was caught up in doping allegations throughout his shot putt career). After that, she was married to Tim Montgomery who was charged and banned for two years because of his involvement with BALCO.

Also, her coach leading up to Sydney 2000, Trevor Graham, has also been caught up in supplying steroids to his athletes, including Jones. To give him some credit, he did provide the US Anti-Doping Agency with the drug to help them catch the cheats (not that it excuses his prior involvements).

Whether she was a victim in this or not is unclear to me but jailing her for it is fair and hopefully this will provide young athletes with more reason to reject performance enhancing drugs and clean up a sport that is forever under suspicion.

Learn more about this author, Stephen Culley.
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