The good news (if it can be called that) is that track and field diva Marion Jones finally came clean and admitted to using steroids. In a tearful admission on Friday, the Olympic runner apologized to the public and admitted to lying to federal investigators about taking the drug. Jones will face prison time and has already turned in her five Olympic medals to the USOC.
The bad news is not many people believe her apology act, including USA Today columnist, Jon Saraceno, and Detroit Free Press sports reporter Mitch Albom on Sunday's Sportwriters program on ESPN. They don’t buy her explanation that she was duped into taking steroids by her ex-husband and coach. I did not hear her full admission from Friday, but from what I gather from Albom and Saraceno that her apology was filled with little white lies, intended to make her look the victim. But you can bet Jones is not a victim and will continue her “I was wronged” story for as long as she can.
The sad thing is, who can you believe anymore? You can’t trust anyone who says they didn’t take performance-enhancing drugs because there will always be a seed of doubt about whether that person is telling the truth. The next time someone does deny using steroids, will we automatically assume he/she is lying? Or will the truly innocent be considered guilty by association?
Showing posts with label track and field. Show all posts
Showing posts with label track and field. Show all posts
Monday, October 08, 2007
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
‘Y’ One Athlete Lost Her Silver Medal
An Indian woman who finished second in the 800 meters race at the Asian Games recently was stripped of her medal. Why? She failed a gender test.
According to the AP news story, the Olympic Council of Asia disqualified the 25-year-old runner, Santhi Soundarajan, after a post-race gender test revealed more Y chromosomes than were allowed. An Indian athletics official insisted that Soundarajan never had a sex-change operation.
What I want to know is how many Y chromosomes are allowed before an athlete is disqualified? And why did Asian Games officials request that Soundarajan take the gender test? What made them suspicious? Inquiring minds want to know.
According to the AP news story, the Olympic Council of Asia disqualified the 25-year-old runner, Santhi Soundarajan, after a post-race gender test revealed more Y chromosomes than were allowed. An Indian athletics official insisted that Soundarajan never had a sex-change operation.
What I want to know is how many Y chromosomes are allowed before an athlete is disqualified? And why did Asian Games officials request that Soundarajan take the gender test? What made them suspicious? Inquiring minds want to know.
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