Marion Jones: The Fall From Grace
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Each of us has events that seem to be imprinted permanently onto memory. One of my memories that I can recall in absolute vivid detail is watching Marion Jones run. She was spectacular. It was jaw-dropping. It was a competition that I attending with friends and we had the date marked on our calendars, months in advance. We kept watch of the sporting news and hoped that Ms Jones would not be prevented from running because of injury.
What we had anticipated for months was over in a matter of seconds. Nevertheless, it was unforgettable. Ms Jones exploded from the blocks. Her form was elegant. Her head was on a level plane. She never bobbed her head. It seemed as if she glided over the distance. It instantly became a permanent memory. And it was thrilling - a marvel that someone could do that.
Over the years, there have been speculation of drugs enhancing Ms Jones’ performance. The head always said ‘yes’; there might be some truth to it. Her associations within the athletic community were not well chosen. However, the heart always wanted to believe that Ms Jones did not have a chemical assist for her performance. Perhaps, Ms Jones was clean. We wanted to believe.
Now Ms Jones faces six months in prison. She did use steroids. The Judge for her case called it a “worldwide lie”. It is a crushing fall from grace. Ms Jones cheated. It’s so sad. She might have been just as stellar without the drugs. Unfortunately, we will be less inclined to believe in the next spectacularly gifted athlete who seems to fly down the track.
Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/
[tag]marion jones, track and field, drugs, prison, cheating[/tag]
One Comment
rstones12
January 12th, 2008
at 5:36pm
She deserves everything she gets as far as a punishment, it is fair and it sets an example for all other cheaters.
Regardless of her athletic status or accomplishments she lied not once but several times to Olympic and Federal investigators and that is the core of this issue. Marion Jones is a cheater and she should have been made an example of. While athletes are sometimes held to a higher standard and in some cases serve as role models to todays youth, this is no excuse for what she has done. It was not a one time use, it was a deceptive and repeated use of illegal substances to gain a competitive edge, let not lose focus on that.
Her achievements throughout International and Olympic competition from the point of her illegal steroid use is nothing more than a ruse to all observers and competitors, she was a fake.
While I can find some forgiveness in her acknowledgment of her mis-deeds and cheating ways, she does deserve to be punished. Now if only other major sports leagues would follow this example the fans that attend and support these events would be able to watch a competition on a level playing field.
Gaining a competitive edge is nothing new to the sports world, but the use of illegal substances is and Ms. Jones crossed the line and got caught, I hope this will serve as example to all present and future professional athletes.