Athletics: Wada Chief Slams Marion Jones

Marion Jones has been accused of putting on a "grandstand performance" by the World Anti-Doping Agency chairman Dick Pound following the latest efforts to clear her name.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency recently gave the triple Olympic champion documents stemming from the investigation into the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative that it believes may implicate her in the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs.

Jones has consistently denied the allegations, most recently on Wednesday when she called a press conference to demand that a public inquiry would clear her name. "My impression was that it was kind of a grandstand performance," said Pound yesterday.

At least five other athletes, including the father of Jones' son, the 100 metres world record holder Tim Montgomery, have been notified by Usada that it is pursuing possible drug cases that could keep them out of the Olympics in August. The athletes were unavailable for comment last night but were due to respond to the allegations today.

Another athlete, Kelli White, the world 100 and 200 metres world champion, has already accepted a two-year ban after agency officials confronted her with their evidence.

"I don't think that an athlete, for whatever reason, is able to subvert that process," Pound said. "I think it was very unfortunate that Marion was advised to use words like 'secret court' with respect to Usada."