Marion Jones sentenced to 6 months

[mersey86]

2 young children, 1 who she is nursing. I wish the judge had given her house arrest. I admire the way she has handled herself throughout the last few months - such a waste, though. She could have been something without cheating.

[irishgeo]

she might just have been average and i feel sorry for the athletes who didnt cheat and got beat by one.

she did not go to jail for cheating but for lying about it in court. everyone knows perjury is a hated crime and is punished severely.

[Dhav]

she did not go to jail for cheating but for lying about it in court. everyone knows perjury is a hated crime and is punished severely.

Exactly. No integrity. Her personal circumstances do not make her any less guilty or deserving of a lesser punishment. Apparently the judge wanted to impose a higher sentence.

[Shaggy]

She used to win her races by a street.

Like Flo-Jo, we should've ****ing known.

This one is a real shame. Don't ask me why, as I'm never surprised to hear about athletes cheating, but I thought she was different.

More fool me, and this just reinforces why I no longer waste my time watching a load of cheats competing.

[Joe King]

Not surprised.

I've just Denise Lewis on the radio who said athletes who are drug cheats should have harsher punishments- maybe life punishment in prison.

[mersey86]

Exactly. No integrity. Her personal circumstances do not make her any less guilty or deserving of a lesser punishment. Apparently the judge wanted to impose a higher sentence.

Understood re. personal circumstances. The prosecution however stated they thought anything from probation to 6 months was satisfactory.

[mersey86]

she might just have been average and i feel sorry for the athletes who didnt cheat and got beat by one.

she did not go to jail for cheating but for lying about it in court. everyone knows perjury is a hated crime and is punished severely.

She was an excellent college basketball player. She was exceptionally gifted, but made some bad choices re the people she associated with - and then compounded them by lying.

[mersey86]

she did not go to jail for cheating but for lying about it in court. everyone knows perjury is a hated crime and is punished severely.

She wouldn't have been lying if she hadn't cheated though...

[Dhav]

She used to win her races by a street.

Like Flo-Jo, we should've ****ing known.

This one is a real shame. Don't ask me why, as I'm never surprised to hear about athletes cheating, but I thought she was different.

More fool me, and this just reinforces why I no longer waste my time watching a load of cheats competing.

Was always suspicious of her, given like you say she was streets ahead of the competition. Was mainly because of the people she was associating with, ie her husband at the time CJ Hunter who was a known drugs cheat.

[Howard_lfc]

I'm torn here.

Marion is in no way a threat to society. She shouldn't go to jail for towing the party line. But then again I do feel genuinely sorry for whoever finished 4th and missed out on a medal because she cheated.

Jail or not, I have more respect for Marion Jones now than I ever did. Most observers knew she was on something or other as she was winning by such wide margins.

I just hope she can serve her time and come out and start afresh and leave this mess behind.

[Shaggy]

I'm torn here.

Marion is in no way a threat to society. She shouldn't go to jail for towing the party line. But then again I do feel genuinely sorry for whoever finished 4th and missed out on a medal because she cheated.

Jail or not, I have more respect for Marion Jones now than I ever did. Most observers knew she was on something or other as she was winning by such wide margins.

I just hope she can serve her time and come out and start afresh and leave this mess behind.

Why do you have MORE respect for her now than ever?

[mersey86]

Why do you have MORE respect for her now than ever?

I expect because of the dignified way she has admitted publicly to her wrongdoing, the way she has made no attempt to hide or to shirk responsibility, the lack of any whinging even when she was given the highest sentence of those suggested. The lady has shown class and while there is no condoning her errors, she can be admired for the way she has taken responsibility.

[Shaggy]

I expect because of the dignified way she has admitted publicly to her wrongdoing, the way she has made no attempt to hide or to shirk responsibility, the lack of any whinging even when she was given the highest sentence of those suggested. The lady has shown class and while there is no condoning her errors, she can be admired for the way she has taken responsibility.

That's fair enough but in my eyes she's only regained a modicum of respect, in the grand scheme of things....

...which I'm sure she'll lose plenty of sleep over.

[kurtangle01]

She'll serve about 10 days and then be released on appeal.

[irishgeo]

She'll serve about 10 days and then be released on appeal.

cant see her appealing as it was a plea bargain. it could have been a lot worse.The judge wanted to jail her for longer.

If she didnt plead guilty, it would have been a lot worse.