Athens 2004: Door Closing on Marion Jones

Marion Jones's chance of being at the Olympics in Athens in August looks to be diminishing as United States officials continue to investigate her alleged links with the Balco laboratory in a scandal that is overshadowing the build-up to the games.

Lawyers for the Californian, winner of a record five medals in Sydney four years ago, said yesterday they had received a letter from the US Anti-Doping Agency. It came on the same day that Jones's partner, the 100 metres world record holder Tim Montgomery, and several other leading American athletes were warned by Usada that they face suspensions that could keep them out of the Olympics.

Jones's letter does not accuse her of any specific violations but seeks answers to follow-up questions to a meeting held last month between her and her lawyers with Usada officials and their legal team.

The evidence presented then included a folder titled "Marion Jones" that, according to the San Jose Mercury News, which is following the case, contained numbered steroid-test results, calendar pages, a ledger and a Jones cheque made out to Balco (Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative) and apparently signed by her former husband, the 1999 world shot-put champion CJ Hunter. News broke during the 2000 Olympics that Hunter had failed drug tests for steroids.

Jones's lawyer, Joseph Burton, has described the evidence presented to her as "unconvincing". He said: "Marion has passed every drug test she has been given. It is time for Usada to be fair and recognise that she has accomplished what she has accomplished because of her God-given talents and hard work and let her move forward with her life."

Jones and Montgomery have denied using any performance-enhancing drugs and Jones has promised court action if an attempt is made to punish her without her having given a positive test.

Investigators believe Balco is the source of the designer steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) which is at the centre of a worldwide drug scandal.

Balco's founder and owner Victor Conte has been charged with illegally supplying steroids to 27 sportsmen and women, including baseball players and American footballers as well as elite athletes.

Kelli White, who won the 100m and 200m at the world championships in Paris last year, succeeding Jones, has agreed to a two-year ban based on evidence presented to her. As part of a deal White agreed to serve as a witness for Usada.

If Jones does legally challenge any decision to prevent her competing in Athens, the International Association of Athletics Federations and the International Olympic Committee may still bar her from the games.

Dick Pound, the World Anti-Doping Agency president, said he anticipated that, if drug-use allegations against any athletes were not resolved by August 13, the day the games open, the IOC would rule those athletes ineligible even if court cases were ongoing.

"That's my understanding of how the IOC is going to apply it," Pound said. "You can't stop people from going to court. If they want to go to court and throw up a smokescreen, you can do that."

The cases are unique because Usada is working towards suspending athletes for drug violations based on evidence other than a positive test. Though the process is unprecedented, the protocol will be the same as for a positive test. The government is keen to prevent a situation where a US athlete might test positive for drugs at the games and create a scandal such as the Ben Johnson one at Seoul in 1988.

Other athletes who have been warned they are facing bans include Chryste Gaines, winner of two Olympic medals in the 4x100m and the world's No2 ranked female sprinter behind White last year.

Like White, Gaines is coached by the Ukrainian-born Remi Korchemny, another of whose charges, Britain's Dwain Chambers, was found guilty of using THG and is now serving a two-year ban. The other athletes to have received letters are the Olympic 400m silver medallist Alvin Harrison and the 2003 world indoor 200m champion Michelle Collins.

Usada has also contacted the Ukrainian sprinter Zhanna Block. Block, who lives and trains in the US, surprised Jones in the 100m final at the 2001 world championships when she ended her 54-race unbeaten record. Usada, however, has no jurisdiction to suspend her, which must be left to the IAAF.

The lengthy letters apparently included dozens of pages of attachments that describe the potential charges citing, at least in some cases, evidence of use of a host of banned drugs including testosterone, norbolethone, THG, trenbolone, modafinil and erythropoietin (EPO).

"The sending of notice letters is the first step towards determining whether sport anti-doping rules have been violated," said Travis Tygart, Usada's director of legal affairs. The athletes have been given 10 days to respond and Usada wants the matters cleared up before the US Olympic trials open in Sacramento on July 9.