Track & Field
I'm Sorry For A Lot Of Things, But Ms. Jones Isn't One Of Them
By Kevin Young
Oct 11, 2007

MARYLAND -- Lately there have been many people who feel sorry for Marion Jones with her admitted steroid use. She lied about her involvement with performance enhancing drugs for years, and even to the point where she was willing to prosecute others with would have been a frivolous anti-defamation litigation.

By all means, I do not feel sorry for Marion Jones. 

I am sorry for her Olympic relay teammates. They had performed to the best of
their abilities and are now going to have to relinquish their medals won because of her cheating.

I am sorry for all the youngsters who made Ms. Jones their hero. 

I am sorry for all the corporations that supported her and even our national governing body for making her and other drug cheats the face of USATF. 

I am sorry for all the media and marketing powers that do not recognize the great value of our sports legends that cross all demographics. 

I'm sorry for our generation of young athletic women who do not know of the great legacy of track and field heroines, such as Wyomia Tyus, Edith Duvall, Willye White, Rosie Bonds, Barbara Ferrell, Evelyn Ashford as well as many others. 

I am sorry for having to explain time and time again that all track and field athletes are not drugs cheats. 

I am sorry for the criticism Mr. Dick Pound had to endure for being steadfast in his mission and efforts to clean up the sport.

What I'm not sorry for is being critical of anyone who has cheated in our sport. 

I am not sorry for loving athletics. 

I am not sorry for being the fastest 400-meter hurdler of all time! 

I am not sorry for the way I did it, clean and drug-free.