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Marion Jones urges public hearing

June 17, 2004 01:23 IST

Triple Olympic champion Marion Jones said on Wednesday she would refuse to co-operate with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) unless further investigations are conducted in public.

Jones, who has been asked to provide further answers to USADA, which is investigating the BALCO laboratory in California, told a news conference the agency was a "secret kangaroo court".

"I am more than happy to answer every question but I am not going to engage in the United States Anti-Doping Agency's secret kangaroo court," she said.

"I will answer their questions in a public forum open for the entire world to see and evaluate. For a third time I will answer all their questions but I'm not going to answer them behind closed doors. I'll answer them in public and in the light of day."

Jones's partner Tim Montgomery, the world 100 metres record holder, is one of several U.S. athletes who have received a letter from USADA alleging doping violations after a federal investigation into the BALCO laboratory.

Her former husband, 1999 world shot put champion C.J. Hunter, tested positive four times for steroids in 2000.

Jones repeatedly stressed that she had passed more than 160 drug tests and had never asked for, or accepted, any illegal supplements from BALCO.

"I have never ever used performance enhancing drugs. I have accomplished what I have accomplished because of my God-given abilities and hard work," she said. "The truth is my friend and transparency my ally in this matter."

She said that USADA should have cleared her name a long time ago and added she still planned to enter next month's Olympic trials so that she could compete in the Athens Olympics opening on August 13.


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