Jones, Marion (1975-…), is an American track and field star. She was one of the leading performers in the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. There, Jones became the first female athlete to win five medals in track and field during a single Olympics competition. She won gold medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter races and as a member of the United States 1,600-meter relay team. She also won bronze medals in the long jump and the 400-meter relay. In 2007, Jones pleaded guilty to charges of money laundering and taking illegal performance-enhancing drugs in 1999 and 2000. Jones had repeatedly denied she had taken any banned drugs. Three days after her guilty plea, she returned her five Olympic medals to the International Olympic Committee and agreed to forfeit all other racing results dating back to Sept. 1, 2000. In 2008, Jones served about six months in jail for lying to federal agents about her use of drugs and for her connection to the money laundering case.
Jones was born on Oct. 12, 1975, in Los Angeles. She was a star athlete in high school in both basketball and track and field. In her senior year in high school, Jones was named the female California Division I Player of the Year in basketball. Jones attended the University of North Carolina. In her freshman year, she helped lead the university to the 1993-1994 women’s basketball championship of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
