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She didn’t win five gold medals in Sydney, but three gold and two bronze wasn’t shabby. She especially shined in the 100-meter race, where she pulled away from the field so quickly that her closest pursuer was nearly three full strides behind and the margin of victory was the second biggest in Olympic history.
She was juiced, of course, though we didn’t know it then. But the whispers began when she appeared at a bizarre press conference during the games to defend her then-husband, C.J. Hunter, on his own doping accusations.
Jones was never charged with anything, but the circumstantial evidence piled up so much over the years that it was impossible to think that if it quacked like a duck, looked like a duck, and walked like a duck that it wasn’t a duck. Jones finally tested positive last year, and while the backup second sample didn’t confirm the first test, it wasn’t coincidental that she hasn’t been seen in competition since then.
The question not answered Friday is why she suddenly changed her tune after so long. Obviously, investigators uncovered firm evidence against her, which may mean the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative probe hasn’t been as dormant recently as most thought. And perhaps people such as Barry Bonds might be beginning to work up a sweat.
The most disappointing thing is Jones could have gone down in history as the greatest female athlete ever by doing it naturally. She was so good even before using steroids that she didn’t need them to win far more than her fair share of fortune and fame.
That wasn’t good enough. Jones got greedy.
She cheated, and she lied. She still might be lying about how much she knew and when she knew it.
It won’t be any fun watching her go to prison. But I’d be lying if I didn’t think she was getting what she deserves.
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