In a stunning fall from grace, Marion says she cheated

A short time ago, Marion Jones, one of Belize’s National Heroes suffered a stunning fall from grace as she issued a statement to friends, family, and fans admitting that she was using performance enhancing drugs when she won five medals in the 2000 Olympics. Jones faced a New York judge today and formally confessed her wrongdoing. Outside the courthouse, she was emotional as she addressed the media and the world.

Marion Jones Thompson
“… 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 pled guilty to two counts of making false statements to federal agents. Making these false statements to federal agents was an incredible stupid thing for me to do and I am responsible fully for my actions. I have no one to blame but myself for what I have done. To you my fans, including my young supporters, the United States Track and Field Association, my closest friends, my attorneys, and the most classy family a person could ever hope for, namely my mother, my husband, my children, my brother and his family, my uncle, and the rest of my extended family, I want you to know that I have been dishonest … and you have the right to be angry with me. I have let them down, I have let my country down, and I have let myself down. I recognise that by saying that I am deeply sorry, it might not be enough and sufficient to address the pain and the hurt that I have caused you. Therefore, I want to ask for your forgiveness for my actions and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I have asked Almighty God for my forgiveness. Having said this and because of my actions, I am retiring from the sport of track and field, a sport which I deeply love. I promise that these events will be used to make the lives of many people improve, that by making the wrong choices and bad decisions can be disastrous. I want to thank you all for your time.”