Sometimes the truth comes out a little too late. After years of denials, track star Marion Jones pleaded guilty in a federal court to charges that she had lied about using steroids. On October 8, three days after her guilty plea, Jones returned her five Olympic medals. She also agreed to forfeit all wins for the past seven years.
The former Olympian admitted lying to investigators in 2003 when they asked if she had ever used the illegal drugs. "It's with a great amount of shame that I tell you I have betrayed your trust," Jones said.
From September 2000 to July 2001, Jones used a steroid called THG. She said that her coach had told her she was taking flaxseed oil. Jones used the substance before the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and continued taking it after the Games. By 2003, she says, she realized she was using steroids.
The admission marked a stunning fall for the 32-year-old star. In 2000, Jones became the only female track-and-field athlete to win five medals in a single Olympics. She won three gold and two bronze medals.
Jones is due back in court for sentencing in January. She is expected to be fined, and could face time in prison. Jones accepted a two-year ban from the sport. But the International Olympic Committee may impose an even longer ban and more penalties.