Who is Marion Jones? Everything you need to know about the former Olympian

To appear in season 3 of Fox’s Special forces: the toughest test in the world, Marion Jones fought many battles in the court of public opinion.

Jones, 49, won five medals — three gold and two bronze — at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, but was later stripped of his medals after admitting to lying about taking performance-enhancing drugs.

In addition to returning her medals, Jones was sentenced to six months in prison in 2008 for her role in the scandal.

During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly before Special Forces At the premiere, Jones said the show gave her a chance to “revisit the intensity level” of her Olympic past.

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“I think the general public sees us as great in a small window, but you don’t know that from the time we were 3, 4, 5 years old until the time our sport ended, we were at this level.” , Jones said. said about her and her Special Forces classmates. “And when you’re separated from that for whatever reason and you start living, there’s always something, at least for me, that’s like, ‘Oh, there’s more.’ I need to be challenged somehow.”

She added: “I was definitely satisfied with the experience.”

Special Forces a soldier Rudy Reyes exclusively told Us Weekly that he viewed Jones’ appearance on the show as an attempt to rewrite her public narrative.

“She was the fastest woman on the planet,” Reyes said. “I really, really admired the work, its speed and preparation. She had many world records. And then she was accused of doping, and she really became a scapegoat and a sacrificial lamb and ended up in prison.”

Reyes added: “I just love the comeback story. It is truly quintessentially American. We always give someone another chance. And it was really great to see her there.”

To learn all about Marion Jones, keep reading.

Marion Jones was a two-sport athlete in college

During her time at the University of North Carolina, Jones was also a member of the women’s basketball team in addition to her starring role on the track and field team.

Jones was on the roster of the Tar Heel team that won the national title in 1994 and was a two-time All-ACC selection and the 1997 ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player.

After her track and field career, Jones played two seasons in the WNBA with the Tulsa Shock from 2010-2011.

Marion Jones lied for years about using performance enhancing drugs

In December 2004 Viktor Graffounder of a company called BALCO, said he gave Jones four different banned performance-enhancing drugs before, during and after the 2000 Sydney Olympics during an ABC interview. 20/20.

Jones denied the allegations for years before pleading guilty to lying to federal agents under oath in October 2007.

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At a press conference, Jones announced a mea culpa to the American public.

“It is with great shame that I stand before you and tell you that I have betrayed your trust and you have every right to be angry with me,” Jones said. “I let them down. I failed my country. And I let myself down.”

In July 2006, Jones was also linked to a check forgery scheme in which documents showed a $25,000 check was deposited into Jones’ bank account. Jones eventually pleaded guilty to her knowledge of the scheme.

In 2008, Jones was sentenced to six months in prison for her involvement in check fraud and performance-enhancing drugs.

Marion Jones was married twice

Jones married a shot putter CJ Hunter in 1998 after the couple met when Jones was a student-athlete and Hunter was a coach at North Carolina.

At the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Hunter abruptly withdrew from the shot put competition, citing a knee injury. However, the International Olympic Committee soon announced that Hunter had failed four pre-Olympic drug tests.

The couple divorced in 2002. After their split, Hunter testified to a grand jury in 2004, saying Jones’ steroid use began long before the Sydney Games.

Jones did not publicly admit to drug use until years later.

Hunter died in 2021 at the age of 52.

In February 2007, Jones married a Barbadian Olympian Abadelle Thompson. Jones and Thompson had two children together before the couple divorced in 2017.

Jones also gave birth to a son with an ex-boyfriend, Tim Montgomery Jrin June 2003

Marion Jones is now spending her time paying it forward

In 2024, Jones helped launch Driven Performance, which is “dedicated to helping you reach your potential and exceed what you thought was possible by developing the discipline and mindset to start winning in all areas of your life.”

During an interview with the ABC television channel Robin Roberts in July 2024, Jones said she wanted people to look at her life and “ultimately come to the conclusion that failure is not eternal.”

“I hope that when people see my story, they say, ‘You know what? Yeah, she’s been through some things,” Jones said. “A lot of it is because of her own choice. But she didn’t stay there and let it all finally consume her.”