A dominant force in womens sprinting, Jones was upset in the 100m sprint at the 2001 World Championships, as Ukrainian Zhanna Pintusevich-Block beat her for her first loss in the event in six years; Pintusevich-Block was one of the names revealed by Victor Conte during the BALCO scandals. He seems like a nice guy. Marion is a former world champion track and field athlete and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. If he's dealing with a heavy burden, I'll pray for him. She asked that their privacy be respected. Marion toldESPNin 2012: My husband has been incredible through all of this. What is Marion Jones doing now in 2021? She owns a - TheNetline She is from CA. He allowed me to fulfill my dreams and he was the caretaker of the kids. On 5 September, he placed second in a photo finish to Fredericks in the 100 m Grand Prix Final in Moscow, Russia. Although a maximum sentence of 5 years could be imposed, the prosecution recommended no more than 6 months as part of Joness plea bargain. Those schools joined Jesuit High School (Sacramento) and Long Beach Polytechnic High School in having two athletes win the award. The models mixed-race identity, Who are Lilia Vus parents? In a published letter, Jones said she had used steroids until she stopped training with Graham at the end of 2002. It's Nothing New, Track Star Marion Jones to Admit Steroid Use, Track Olympian Reportedly Admits to Steroid Use, Track Coach Charged with Obstruction in Balco Case, Secondary Doping Tests Clear Marion Jones' Name, Sports Doping Scandal Threatens Reputations, BALCO Head Confirms Doping, Ties M. Jones to Steroid Use, Doping Scandals, Security and U.S. Summer Olympic Teams, Doping Scandal Clouds Marion Jones' Olympic Bid. and 20.03 sec., respectively, running the latter into a heavy headwind. After high school, she played basketball for the University of North Carolina. She was Track and Field News High School Athlete of the Year in 1991 and 1992. [20] His time of 20.36 sec. Thompson raced sparingly and unremarkably in 2004, and just weeks before the 2004 Athens Olympics his participation was doubtful due to various injuries. We're very cautious when we pursue certain things or agree to certain things. Marion Jones 2023: dating, net worth, tattoos, smoking & body She also filed a $25 million lawsuit against the owner of BALCO, the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative, who admitted during a grand jury probe that he provided Jones with steroids. Anyone can read what you share. There was a time right after it happened that I did. Jones said she lied to federal agents in 2003 because she panicked when they showed her a sample of a banned substance called "the clear" and realized it was what Graham had given her. Jones lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, Obadele Thompson, and their three children: Monty, Amir and Eva-Marie. Her husband is Obadele Thompson (m. 2007), C. J. Jones lost her spot on the 1996 Olympic team because of an injury. Find Marion Joness Bio details, How old?, How tall, Physical Stats, Romance/Affairs, Family and career upbeen in a relationship with?s. She was as much of a stand-out on the basketball court as she was in track and field, walking away with a NCAA title in her freshman season and a game average of 17.1 points in her sophomore year. So, how much is Marion Jones worth at the age of 46 years of age. However, the United States Anti-Doping Agency later stripped her of her medals after she admitted to using steroids. Her story was told on November 19, 2012's episode of the "Life After" show. Disgraced sprinter Marion Jones was sentenced to six months in prison on Friday for lying to federal prosecutors . I messed up, and I'm doing something to contribute back to community. Emeritus Alvin Thompson-Historian", "Prof. Alvin O. Thompson Curriculum Vitae", "IAAF: Thousands welcome Obadele Thompson iaaf.org", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Obadele_Thompson&oldid=1152110626, This page was last edited on 28 April 2023, at 07:55. Obadele Thompson and Marion Lois Jones attend FOR COLORED GIRLS, New York Special Screening at Ziegfeld Theater on October 25, 2010 in New York City. His comments were the first about the February 24 ceremony, which had been rumored for days. Marion Jones crosses the finish line to win the gold medal at the Olympics in Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 23, 2000. Given Name: Marion Lois Jones, Marion Jones-Thompson Age: 47 (10/12/1975) Occupation: Sports - Track and Field VIOLENT, FILTHY PRISON Marion Jones crosses the finish line to win the gold medal at the Olympics in Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 23, 2000. Hunter told the investigators that Jones first obtained EPO (Erythropoietin) from Graham, who Hunter said had a Mexican connection for the drug. and stood for 12 years until Tyson Gay ran a wind-aided 9.68 sec. She reported four days early, on March 7, at the Federal Medical Center, Carswell prison in Fort Worth and was assigned Federal Bureau of Prisons register no. Thompson was featured in his own NBC Olympic television commercial shown during the 1999 MLB World Series. is married to Olympic sprinter Obadele Thompson of Barbados. Obadele started the 1996 season on fire, winning his first NCAA Indoor Championship in an NCAA indoor 200 m record. Vibert Tyrrel, pastor of the Union Hill African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wilsons Mills, told Reuters in a telephone interview from his home in New Bern, North Carolina. After winning further statewide sprint titles, she accepted a full scholarship to the University of North Carolina in basketball, where she helped the team win the NCAA championship in her freshman year. I truly hope that people will learn from my mistakes.. On October 8, 2007, a source confirmed that Marion Jones surrendered her five medals from the 2000 Summer Olympics. I would be spending the rest of my life apologizing. Although Prof. Thompson never earned an athletic scholarship nor had formal coaching, he won the 100 m at the 1963 Jamaica National Championships,[35] while studying at UWI in Mona, Jamaica. Marion Jones grew up to George Jones and his wife, Marion, (originally from Belize) in Los Angeles, California. BALCO founder Victor Conte maintained he had seen Jones inject herself with steroids, as did her ex-husband. Jones sobbed into the shoulder of her husband, Olympic sprinter Obadele Thompson. 289 Marion Thompson Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images Even when she joined the WNBA with the Tulsa Shock, Thompson supported her by taking care of the kids. Marion Jones is a Belizean-American former world champion athlete. Creative Editorial Marion Jones Sentenced For Lying About Steroid Use NEW YORK - JANUARY 11: Marion Jones (L) stands with her husband Obadele Thompson after she leaves court January 11, 2008 in White Plains, New York. In 1995, Barbadian soca band, Krosfyah, released the song Obadele[38]praising Thompson's outstanding achievements. As a result of these admissions, Jones accepted a two-year suspension from track and field competition issued by USADA, and announced her retirement from track and field on October 5, 2007. But Jones passed another milestone three years later. Marion Jones sentenced to six months - The New York Times On his return to Barbados after his Olympic medal-winning performance, Thompson was greeted by thousands of well-wishers who lined the streets as his motorcade travelled from the airport to the Barbados Government headquarters,[40] where the former Prime Minister, Owen Arthur, conferred on him the title of Ambassador and Special Envoy for Youth. She retained lawyer Howard Jacobs, who has represented many athletes in doping cases, including Tim Montgomery and cyclist Floyd Landis. Her lawyer did not return phone calls seeking comment. The U.S. Olympic Team once dubbed Marion Jones "the world's fastest mom," but she could not run fast enough to escape the doping charges that have plagued her since she won five medals at the 2000 Olympics. "The haters. When a federal grand jury in San Francisco began to hear testimony in 2004, more allegations against Jones surfaced. Share. [21] He withdrew from the meet, extinguishing the anticipated showdown with Trinidadian sprinter, Ato Boldon[22] of UCLA. By the age of 15 she was routinely dominating California high school athletics both on the track and the basketball court. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) Marion Jones was sentenced to six months in prison for lying about using steroids during her athletic career and a check-fraud scam. His most memorable victory came in the 100 m invitational race at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, where he defeated his idol Carl Lewis (nine-time Olympic gold medalist), Mark Witherspoon (member of the 1992 US Olympic 100 m team), and Sam Jefferson (1994 NCAA 100 m champion).[19]. Jones vehemently denied using performance-enhancing drugs until her confession in 2007. Hunter and has a three-year-old son with banned former 100 meters world record holder Tim Montgomery. That will be followed by two years of probation, and she was ordered to perform 800 hours of community service working with young athletes to spread an anti-drug message. Judge Sentences Jones to 6 Months in Prison, https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/12/sports/othersports/12jones.html. Throughout most of her athletic career including two Olympiads and several championship meets, Jones had been accused, either outright or by implication, of taking performance-enhancing drugs. [6] He has also been listed as one of UTEP's all-time top 10 male athletes.[7]. Lead singer, Edwin Yearwood, won the 1995 Pic-O-De-Crop Calypso Monaco singing this tune,[39] which became highly popular throughout in the Caribbean region and with the Caribbean diaspora. Their first child together, a son named Ahmir, grew up in June 2007. Marion Jones crosses the finish line to win the gold medal at the Olympics in Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 23, 2000. Thompson was a keynote speaker at the official launch of the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup in Barbados and has participated in leadership development programs, including with the West Indies Cricket Team. Obadele is the biological father to Ahmir (2007) and Eva-Marie (2009). Marion Jones stands with her husband Obadele Thompson after she Thompson sustained a groin injury during that race, forcing him to miss practice for a week. Jones turned to sports as an outlet for her grief; running, pickup basketball games, and anything else her brother Albert was doing athletically. Marion Jones was sentenced to. Jones claimed she had never taken performance-enhancing drugs. Stephen Chernin/Getty Images Joness lawyers asked Karas to limit the sentence to probation. He was also coached by respected Barbadian coaches Frank "Blackie" Blackman and the late Anthony Lovell. He was the youngest semifinalist in the 200 m at the World (Senior) Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, and won a silver medal in the 100 m at the World University Games in Fukuoka, Japan. Jones withdrew from the Weltklasse Golden League meet in Switzerland, citing personal reasons, and once more denied using performance-enhancing drugs. Marion Jones walks with her husband Obadele Thompson after she leaves court January 11, 2008 in White Plains, New York. On 12-10-1975 Marion Jones (nickname: Marion ) was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. Marions Instagram page reveals her passion for fitness and advocacy. I pray that you will be as merciful as a human being can be, she said. She went on the offensive in 2004, launching a high-profile public relations campaign when the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency began investigating her. Recognition in Barbados [ edit] In 1995, Barbadian soca band, Krosfyah, released the song Obadele [38] praising Thompson's outstanding achievements. Thompson made an immediate impact on the collegiate scene, while still only 17 years old, he reached the finals at the 1994 NCAA Indoor Championships in the 55 and 200 metresthe only male athlete to do so that year[16]while helping his team finish third overall. I'm at a good point in my life. The pregnancy and child birth did not slow her down. A few weeks later, at only 17 years old, he won his first 100 m title at the 1993 Senior Central American and Caribbean Championships (CAC) in Cali, Colombia, clocking a slightly wind-assisted 10.30 sec. Olympic sprinters Marion Jones and Obadele Thompson were married in a small ceremony in the . His time of 20.26 sec. She was the third female athlete to achieve the title twice, immediately following Angela Burnham at Rio Mesa High School, who was the second to achieve the title twice. Who Is Marion Jones's Husband? Marion Jones height is 5 10 and Weight 150lb (68kg). She was also forced to sell two other properties, including her mothers house, to raise money. Ironically, although he never ran a 200 m that season, he reached a career-high IAAF #1 world ranking in that event for several weeks based on his accumulated IAAF points. Angela Burnham preceded her with the award at Rio Mesa, Kim Mortensen followed her with the award at Thousand Oaks. Obadele Thompson - Wikipedia He twice recorded the fastest junior 100 m time (10.18 sec.) She even sued Victor Conte, the head of BALCO, after he described her drug use. Marion Jones talks about explaining jail sentence to son - People Obadele began his athletic career at about six years old in Barbados at the Charles F. Broomes Elementary School before transferring to Wesley Hall Junior School. All of these are different. Advertisement Robert Siegel interviewed Marion Jones on All Things Considered in 1995. She said she did not realize it had been the steroid THG, known as the clear, until she left Graham and stopped taking it. He graduated from UTEP summa cum laude in economics and marketing and received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) I'm helping people to make the right choices. Her crowning athletic achievement was at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where she won three gold medals and two bronze medals. How her mother fled Vietnam in a sinking boat, What is Gervonta Davis ethnicity? This performance broke the mark set by Carl Lewis in 1988 (9.78 sec.) Jones lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, Obadele Thompson, and their three children: Monty, Amir and Eva-Marie. And when the heroes don't live up to that "There are a lot of peole who will never forgive me for my poor choices. His bronze medal was Barbados' first and only Olympic medal and only the second Olympic medal won by a Barbadian athlete (at the 1960 Rome Olympics, Barbadian Jim Wedderburn won bronze with three Jamaicans on the West Indies Federation 4 x 400 metres relay team). Young people are real. So people don't even need to ask me. The three-time Olympic gold medalist also announced her retirement from the sport on Friday. The CARIFTA Games is an annual Caribbean junior track and field championship that has produced notable Caribbean sprinters including Usain Bolt, Merlene Ottey and Pauline Davis-Thompson. Jones married Obadele Thompson in February 2007, and they live with their three children, Eva Marie, Monty, and Amir, in Austin, Texas. He placed fourth at the CAC Championships in Nassau, Bahamas in a season-best 20.53 sec. My response is pretty much the same: I don't know their situation. His personal best performances are 9.87 seconds for the 100 m, 19.97 seconds for the 200 metres (both Barbadian records), and 45.38 seconds for the 400 metres. Jones runs a business and is a fitness trainer with Camp Gladiator. She made her 0.5 million dollar fortune with 2000 Summer Olympics. Unfortunately, he false started in the 55 m finals, despite being heavily favoured to win after running 6.08 sec. I was having a hard time coming to grips [with] having let people down., Jones speaks freely about her mistake and especially enjoys discussing her choices with the youth, who Marion says can be brutally blunt. On 24th February 2007, Obadele married fellow athlete Marion Jones whom he met while they were training partners in Texas. Jones appears in the 2003 film Top Speed, along with other speed specialists such as racing driver Lucas Luhr, mountain biker Marla Streb, and Porsche Cayenne designer Stephen Murkett. When a federal grand jury in San Francisco began to hear testimony in 2004, more allegations against Jones surfaced. Jones promised that her latest defeat would not be the end of her Olympic efforts, and reasserted in May 2005 that winning a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics remained her ultimate goal.. Marion Jones given six months in prison | Reuters She was selected the Gatorade Player of the Year for track and field three years in a row, once at Rio Mesa and twice at Thousand Oaks. shattered the old mark of 20.59 sec. I am troubled, quite frankly, by the statement, he said. My husband has been incredible through all of this. hide caption. I don't have anything to contribute. I want to make them realize no one is above the law.. Know net worth is She in this year and how She do with money?? Injuries struck again months later in the semifinals of the 100 and 200 metres (groin and hamstring strains, respectively) at the 1996 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Jones made the admission in a letter she sent to close family and friends. With Thompson, she has two kids Eva Marie and Ahmir Thompson. But when a parent or a young person comes up to me after or a week or a few months later, and said they were in a tough situation and, like me, took a break and took a step back, it makes all the difference. Three days later, Jones once more improved on her seasonal best time at the Rome IIAF Golden League (10.91seconds), but lost to Jamaicas Sherone Simpson, who clocked 10.87. Her two marriages have averaged 9.7 years each. That was a lie, your honor, she said from the defense table. Thompson won several Athlete of the Year awards, including the UTEP Athlete of the Year (1996 and 1997), US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division I Male Indoor Athlete of the Year (1997), and the Stan Bates WAC Male Student-Athlete of the Year (1997). Marion Jones Sentenced To Six Months In Prison Photos and Premium High . Obadele "Oba" Thompson BSS (born 30 March 1976) is a Barbados-born former sprinter, lawyer, author, and speaker. It is an unexpected turn in the career of the Los Angeles, Calif., native, who has been a track and field star since high school in the early 1990s. That's why I was honored they included me in their show. But talking about these hard times is really making a difference.". I don't know their life. The cable series, in its fourth season, explores the turning point in celebrities' lives. However, facing a lengthy jail sentence for bank fraud, Marion Jones cracked. In the BALCO case, she had denied to federal agents her use of the steroid Tetrahydrogestrinone, known as The Clear, or THG, from 1999, but claimed she was given the impression she was taking a flaxseed oil supplement for two years while coach Trevor Graham supplied her with the substance. Marion was released from prison on September 5, 2008. Montgomery later announced his retirement. The boxers Baltimore upbringing. Obadele Thompson and Marion Lois Jones attend FOR COLORED GIRLS, New York Special Screening at Ziegfeld Theater on October 25, 2010 in New York City. Jones said she worked out on the treadmill up until two days before she gave birth and was back in her running shoes by October. She is a member of famous with the age 46 years of age./b> group. Hunter (m. 1998-2002) Sibling: Not Available: Children: Tim Montgomery Jr., Eva-Marie Thompson, Ahmir Thompson . ". In February 2007, Thompson married former American sprinter and basketball player, Marion Jones. Not deterred, in early 1993, Thompson contacted Hall of Fame former UTEP head track coach, Bob Kitchens,[15] who had trained Nigerian sprinter, Olapade Adeniken, to the 1992 NCAA Outdoor 100 and 200 metres titles. But when they make poor choices, it's hard to swallow. [31] At the Games, he won the bronze medal in the 100 m in 10.04 sec. The three-time gold medal winner has now pleaded guilty Friday to charges connected to steroid use in a federal court in White Plains, N.Y. after persistently denying that she ever used performance-enhancing drugs. However, she was later stripped of these medals after admitting that she had used performance-enhancing drugs. The couple live in Austin, Texas. The prosecutors in the Balco case have not yet indicated to what extent Jones may be used in Grahams trial for perjury charges, which is scheduled to begin in March. Jones and Hunter were married on October 3, 1998, and trained for the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics. It would be wonderful if my reality was that I would travel and talk solely about my incredible accomplishments. Sprint Queen Marion Jones Caught Doping at 2000 Olympics - AmoMama But Jones passed another milestone three years later. Montgomery, who did not qualify for the 2004 Olympic Track and Field team for poor performance, was charged by the US Anti-Doping How old?ncy (USADA), as part of the investigation into the BALCO doping scandal, with receiving and using banned performance-enhancing drugs. I like to know what's going on and I like to prepare," she said. Jones, whose sons are 4 years old and 7 months old, huddled with a dozen or so friends and family members in the courtroom. That is what everyone is striving for. Prosecutors have indicated they would be satisfied with a six-month jail term, but the judge in the case, who is not bound by the recommendation, has indicated he could . Jones admitted she used steroids before the games in a recent letter to family and friends, The Washington Post reported Thursday. at the 2008 US Olympic Trials. Riddick also received three years probation and must pay back $375,000. Two weeks later at the Sierra Medical Center/UTEP Invitational in El Paso, Texas, Thompson established his first global mark by equaling the World Junior Record of 10.08 sec. [2], Obadele's Olympic success followed an outstanding collegiate career at the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP) where he amassed several prestigious awards for his academics, athletics, and leadership. In a pre-sentencing memo, the lead Balco investigator, Jeff Novitzky, provided Karas with evidence that Joness drug use went further than THG. I will respect the judges orders. (Jones claimed she never received the letter notifying her of the required test; attorney Johnnie Cochran successfully got the four-year ban overturned.) She was previously married to American shot putter C.J. (+2.1m/s wind). I could make it back to basketball shape but there are more important things in life.". Marion Jones walks with her husband Obadele Thompson after she leaves court January 11, 2008 in White Plains, New York. . Marion Jones grew up on 12 October, 1975 in Los Angeles, CA. NEW YORK - JANUARY 11: Marion Jones (L) walks with her husband Obadele Thompson after she leaves court January 11, 2008 in White Plains, New York. It's very refreshing to talk to a high school or college. The Washington Post, citing unidentified sources with knowledge of drug results from the USA Track and Field Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, reported that on June 23, 2006, an A sample of Marion Joness urine tested positive for Erythropoietin (EPO), a banned performance enhancer. To celebrate his 20th birthday, Thompson ran 45.38 sec. Tilting the Level Playing Field? And that allows people the opportunity to look at what could possibly happen in your life. Tim Montgomery is the product of a relationship Marion had with sprinter Tim Montgomery in the early 2000s. hide caption. Olympic track and field star Marion Jones has pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators about using steroids. Graham was indicted in the BALCO case last year. Judge Sentences Jones to 6 Months in Prison - New York Times Jones husband, C.J. a 2004 report in the San Francisco Chronicle said that Jones' ex-husband, . Over the next three years, Thompson dominated the 100 m at the regional junior level, winning four successive CARIFTA Games 100 m titles (twice in both the under-17 and under-20 divisions), and not losing to a Caribbean junior sprinter at this distance since he was 14 years old. They don't beat around the bush. Marion Jones walks with her husband Obadele Thompson after she leaves court January 11, 2008 in White Plains, New York. According to the indictment and subsequent documents filed with the court, the link to Jones was made through one of Riddicks business partners, Nathaniel Alexander. [1] He has held the indoor 55 metres world record (5.99 sec.) The couple now have two children together, Thompson born in 2007 and a daughter, Eva-Marie, born in 2009. During that period, he broke the Barbados national 100 m record four times. behind Greene (9.87 sec.) Jones, who turns 32 next week, is married to Olympic sprinter Obadele Thompson of Barbados. But Jones' passion was sprinting, and before the beginning of her junior year, she decided to leave the Tar Heels to concentrate on track and field. WHITE PLAINS The former track star Marion Jones's tearful courtroom plea to avoid jail was denied Friday by a federal judge who said her sentence should serve as a deterrent for . On September 6, 2006, Joness lawyers announced that her B sample had tested negative, which cleared her from the doping allegations. "I want to apologize for all of this. Hunter, admitted he used steroids and told a grand jury that Jones did, too. Disgraced former track star Marion Jones (2nd-R) enters Federal Court for sentencing 11 January 2008 in White Plains, New York, accompanied by husband Obadele Thompson (L). The day after she was released from prison, Marion Jones and her husband, former Barbados sprinter Obadele Thompson, sat alone in their Austin, Texas, home and tried to decide the right. The couple live in Austin, Texas. Joness lawyers tried to persuade Karas that Jones had already suffered from her guilty plea and that her acceptance of responsibility warranted a more lenient sentence. . The sky was still dark on the March morning in 2008 when Marion Jones, the five-time Olympic medalist, folded her long legs into the passenger seat of her Honda . It's a lot easier to talk and deal with young people instead of speaking in front of corporations, churches and grown-ups. The questions are direct. Tilting the Level Playing Field? USADA stated that their sanction also requires disqualification of all her competitive results obtained after September 1, 2000, and forfeiture of all medals, results, points and prizes. (born October 12, 1975), also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is a Belizean-American former world champion track and field athlete and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa . She was released from prison on September 5, 2008. Marion Jones Pleads Guilty in Drug Case, Retires : NPR The USADA sought a four-year suspension for Montgomery. en route to winning the 100 m at the World Cup in Athletics in Johannesburg, South Africa, erasing the championship record set by Ben Johnson in 1985.