VOA常速英语2007-Olympic Star Marion Jones Pleads Guilty to Dopin

By David Byrd
Washington
05 October 2007

Former U.S. sprint¹ star Marion Jones has admitted taking performance-enhancing drugs during her storied sprint career. As VOA's David Byrd reports, Jones pleaded guilty in a New York Court to lying to U.S. government agents in connection with using a steroid that has tainted² the careers of several top sports stars.

Jones entered the plea Friday afternoon in U.S. District Court in White Plains, New York. The former sprint queen, dressed in a dark pinstriped suit and peach colored shirt, fought back tears as she addressed reporters, her family and friends outside a White Plains, New York court house.

"And so it is with a great amount of shame that I stand before you and tell you that I have betrayed your trust. I want all of you to know that today I plead guilty to two counts of making false statements to federal agents. Making these false statements was an incredibly stupid thing for me to do. And I am responsible for my actions. I have no one to blame but myself for what I have done," she said.

Jones was released on her own recognizance and was ordered to return to court January 11 for sentencing. The former sprinter³ said that she had let down her fans and family and that they had the right to be angry. She said she hoped people forgive her and announced that she was retiring from track and field, which she called a sport she deeply loved.

"I have let my country down and I have let myself down. I recognize that by saying that I am deeply sorry it might not be enough and sufficient to address the pain that I have caused you. Therefore, I want to ask for your forgiveness for my actions and I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me," she said.

The plea was in sharp contrast to Jones' former statements, including before the 2004 Olympics in Athens, where she vehemently⁴ denied every using performance-enhancing drugs. "I have never, ever used performance-enhancing drugs. And I have accomplished⁵ what I have accomplished because of my God-given abilities and hard work," she said.

The admission reverberated⁶ throughout the sports world and even reached the White House, where spokeswoman Dana Perino said President Bush, who had called for a Federal crackdown on steroid use in a State of the Union speech, was saddened by the news.

"What the President is really concerned about is that any professional athlete, or anyone who aspires⁷ to be a professional athlete thinks that they have to use performance enhancing drugs in order to achieve their goals. He was sad about the news and hopes that parents can talk to their children about making sure that as they grow up that they can avoid any type of steroid use because they can really get by on their own skill and talent," she said.

Jones could be stripped of three Olympic gold medals and two bronzes from the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Under the statute⁸ of limitations rules, the International Olympic Committee can go back eight years to strip athletes of medals and nullify results.

Jones' admission came to light in a letter to her family and friends published by the Washington Post newspaper. In the letter, Jones admitted taking the banned-steroid THG, known by its street name "the clear," because it could not be detected by dope tests.

The three-time Olympic gold medalist said her former coach Trevor Graham gave her the drug beginning in 1999. Jones said that Graham told her it was flaxseed oil. Jones left Graham's training camp in 2002 and said she noticed a marked decrease in her performance when she stopped taking the drug.

The previously-undetectable drug was manufactured by the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative or BALCO. Several top Major League Baseball players, including Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield later admitted taking the substance, according to the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper. Baseball's home run king Barry Bonds has admitted using a substance his trainer Greg Anderson told him was flaxseed oil.

Anderson and four others were convicted of drug charges in the case. Graham has been indicted⁹ on three counts of lying to federal agents about the drug and has pleaded not guilty. He faces trial next month.

In addition to the doping scandal, Jones pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents about her role in a bank fraud and money laundering¹⁰ scheme. Tim Montgomery, former 100-meters world record holder¹¹, gave Jones a $25,000 check as part of the conspiracy¹², but Jones told investigators¹³ she knew nothing about the scheme.

Jones said again she had panicked, because she did not want her name associated with the fraud. Now, her name will be one of the many associated with doping in high-level athletic¹⁴ competition.

1 sprint   

n.短距离赛跑；vi. 奋力而跑，冲刺；vt.全速跑过

参考例句：

• He put on a sprint to catch the bus.他全速奔跑以赶上公共汽车。
• The runner seemed to be rallied for a final sprint.这名赛跑者似乎在振作精神作最后的冲刺。

2 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 sprinter   

n.短跑运动员，短距离全速奔跑者

参考例句：

• He is more a sprinter than a swimmer. 他是短跑健将，而不是游泳选手。 来自辞典例句
• The sprinter himself thinks he can run the race at 9.4 seconds. 这位短跑运动员自认为可以用9.4秒跑完比赛。 来自互联网

4 vehemently   

adv. 热烈地

参考例句：

• He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse. 他和妻子争论得很激烈，以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
• Both women vehemently deny the charges against them. 两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。

5 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

6 reverberated   

回响，回荡( reverberate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使反响，使回荡，使反射

参考例句：

• Her voice reverberated around the hall. 她的声音在大厅里回荡。
• The roar of guns reverberated in the valley. 炮声响彻山谷。

7 aspires   

v.渴望，追求( aspire的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The fame to which he aspires was beyond his reach. 他追求的名誉乃是他所不能及的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• An old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand li. 老骥伏枥，志在千里。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 statute   

n.成文法，法令，法规；章程，规则，条例

参考例句：

• Protection for the consumer is laid down by statute.保障消费者利益已在法令里作了规定。
• The next section will consider this environmental statute in detail.下一部分将详细论述环境法令的问题。

9 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

10 laundering   

n.洗涤（衣等），洗烫（衣等）；洗（钱）v.洗（衣服等），洗烫（衣服等）( launder的现在分词 )；洗（黑钱）（把非法收入改头换面，变为貌似合法的收入）

参考例句：

• Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering. 洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was charged with laundering money. 他被指控洗钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

12 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

13 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。