Marion Jones Sprinting towards Bankruptcy
Olympic Track and Field Star Is Nearly Broke
The Los Angeles Times recently reviewed court records for Marion Jones and found that the Olympic star who won five medals seven years ago in Sydney and was once paid millions in endorsement money and as much as $80,000 per race is facing bankruptcy. Jones is apparently in heavy debt and fighting off court judgments. Jones' financial problems first became apparent in a deposition in a breach-of-contract lawsuit she filed against former track coach Dan Pfaff, who countersued and won nearly $240,000 from Jones for unpaid training expenses and legal fees. In order to raise money last year, Jones had to sell two properties, including her mother's house. Her $2.5 million mansion in Chapel Hill, North Carolina was also foreclosed on.
An Associated Press story detailed how Jones has been swamped by legal fees since 2003, when she was linked to the BALCO controversy. Jones tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug EPO last year and had to miss several races while clearing her negative urine sample with a positive one. Missing those races allegedly cost Jones an estimated $300,000. Last July, Jones was linked to an alleged check-counterfeiting scheme that resulted in her ex boyfriend and coach Tim Montgomery being criminally charged.
Prior to her legal difficulties, Jones was one of the first female track stars to become a millionaire from the sport. She won three gold medals in the 2000 Summer Olympics and once earned more than $1 million annually from race bonuses and her endorsements