IOC Rules Against Upgrading Sprint Gold from Marion Jones

(ATR) The IOC says it will not award the 100m gold medal stripped from disgraced U.S. sprinter Marion Jones to Greek runner-up Katerina Thanou because “she doesn’t deserve to be honored with this recognition.”

“The IOC feels we have a strong moral and a good legal case for that,” Mark Adams, the IOC’s director of communications told a press briefing in Lausanne Wednesday.

The IOC Executive Board meeting today decided to upgrade the other medals in the 100m and also reallocated Jones's gold in the Sydney 200m to Pauline Davis-Thompson of the Bahamas and the long jump bronze to Tayana Kotova of Russia.

But Adams said the decision was made in the light of Thanou’s own doping scandal. She and Greek teammate Costas Kenteris scandalized the Athens Olympics when they claimed they were involved in a motorcycle accident prior to the Games, causing them to miss three doping tests. She subsequently accepted a ban by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

“It is felt that her conduct… she doesn’t deserve to be honored with this recognition,” he told reporters.

Adams insisted that no precedent was being set.

“Clearly this is a very unique situation. It don’t think it sets a precedent in any way. We are not legally obliged to give medals. It is a case of taking no action. We have decided not to give an honor,” he added.

The IOC ruling means that Thanou keeps hold of her silver medal. Tanya Lawrence of Jamaica is upgraded to silver and her countrywoman Merlene Ottey moves up from fourth place to claim a bronze.

In the 200m, Susanthika Jayasinghe of Sri Lanka is upgraded from bronze to silver behind Pauline Davis-Thompson. Bronze goes to Jamaica’s Beverly McDonald.

Jones placed third in the long jump at the 2000 Olympics but Russia’s Tatyana Kotova now gets the medal after being promoted from fourth in the standings.

The IOC said a decision on the reallocation of medals for the 4x400m and 4x100m relays, where Jones’ teams placed first and third, is pending the outcome of an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Jones’ teammates in those relays have argued that it was wrong to punish them for her doping violations. CAS is expected to announce its verdict by Dec. 18.

Jones was stripped of the five Olympic medals in December 2007 following her admission of doping before, during and after the 2000 Games. She served a 16-month prison sentence for lying to U.S. investigators about her drug use during those Olympics.

The redistribution of Jones’ medals created the headlines from the opening day of the Dec. 9 to 10 EB meeting.

Adams said the EB had approved the IOC budget for 2010, although the figure was not disclosed. He added that “despite difficult economic circumstances, the IOC is in a very solid financial position, principally due to an increase of broadcast rights revenues.”

The IOC’s ruling executive granted full recognition for the International Cricket Council, the International Federation of Sport Climbing, the Union International Motonautiques and also Generations for Peace.

The EB disqualified Norway’s Andre Hansen and his horse from the individual jumping and team jumping competitions at the Beijing Olympics following a positive doping test for a banned substance found in the horse’s sample. The bronze medal for the team jumping event where Norway placed third is handed to Switzerland.

Also Wednesday, the EB held a joint meeting with the Association of National Olympic Committees Executive Board and members heard reports from IOC commissions and directors.

Key decisions will be made about the makeup of the 2012 Olympic program on Thursday, including whether mixed doubles in tennis should be allowed for the London Games.

IOC president Jacques Rogge will give the EB’s response to requests for new events and/or larger quotas of athletes proposed by wrestling, swimming and cycling at his 6.30 pm CET press conference.

Other items on the agenda tomorrow include progress reports from the OCOGs for Olympics in Vancouver, London, Sochi and Rio as well as updates on preparations for the summer and winter Youth Olympic Games in Singapore

and Innsbruck.

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Written by Mark Bisson.