From correspondents in Los Angeles
June 24, 2007 FORMER Olympic golden girl Marion Jones, her athletics career now shadowed by doping suspicions, said in court documents that she is deep in debt, the Los Angeles Times reports today (AEST).
Citing recent court records, the newspaper said Jones claims she lost a $US2.5 million ($2.9 million) “dream home” in North Carolina to bank foreclosure last year.
Jones, who once commanded millions in endorsements, has “total liquid assets throughout the world”’ of about $US2000 ($2400), according to her own deposition in her breach of contract lawsuit against veteran track coach Dan Pfaff, the Times said.
Pfaff has countersued Jones and won a judgment for about $US240,000 ($283,000) in unpaid training fees and legal expenses.
Responding to a question from Pfaff’s attorney in her deposition, Jones said she doesn’t know where all the money went.
"I wish I knew,’’ she said. “`Bills, attorney bills, a lot of different things to maintain the lifestyle.”
Jones has been involved in a string of court actions since her name was linked to the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative after a federal probe into steroid production and distribution.
She retained lawyers for her BALCO grand jury appearance and for a defamation lawsuit against BALCO founder Victor Conte.
Conte, who was convicted of steroid distribution, said he saw Jones use performance-enhancing drugs, an allegation she has vehemently denied.
Jones 31, was linked to doping again last year when an “A” sample from a urine test during the US athletics trials showed signs of the blood booster erythropoietin. The back-up sample was negative.
Jones, who has a young son with disgraced sprinter Tim Montgomery, is now married to Obadele Thompson, a 100m bronze medallist for Barbados at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
Sydney was a triumph for Jones, who won five medals - three gold and two bronze. She failed to qualify for any sprint events in Athens four years later, and also failed to medal in the long jump.
She sued Pfaff in 2005.
Steve Riddick, Jones’ most recent coach, told the Times that the athlete had complained that some meets hadn’t paid her last season. But he said she drove a Porsche to training sessions in 2006.
“I didn’t see any signs that she was struggling,” he said.
Agence France-Presse
