Marion Jones, Is an American Former World Championtrack and Field. She Won 3 Gold Medals

MARION JONES

Marion Jones, is an American former world championtrack and field. She won 3 gold medals and 2 bronze medals at the2000 Summer OlympicsinSydney, but was later stripped of the titles after admitting to steroiduse.Jones did retain her three gold medals as a world champion from 1997 and 1999.Throughout her entire athletic career Jones had been accused, of taking performance-enhancing drugs. Until 2007, Jones routinely deniedever being involved with performance enhancers in any way. She frequently said that she had never tested positive for drugs. However, the rumors and accusations that started when Jones missed a random drug test in the early 1990s andcontinued to follow her through two Olympiads and several championship meets. Finally the sample of Marion Jones's urine tested positive forErythropoietin(EPO), a banned performance enhancer.The US Anti-Doping Agency stated that their sanction "also requires disqualification of all her competitive results obtained after September 1, 2000, and forfeiture of all medals, results, points and prizes". On January 11, 2008, Jones was sentenced to 6 months in jail.

The most common side effects of EPO are relatively mild and include cough, headaches, joint and muscle pain and/or spasms, stomach discomfort, vomiting, trouble sleeping and weight loss. Apart from that formation of blood clots in various locations has been reported in those taking EPO, which, if displaced, can lead to a stroke and possibly death. EPO can also raise your blood pressure. Headaches, dizziness and seizures are neurological symptoms known to be caused by EPO. Leukopenia, or decrease in white blood cells, can compromise your immune system. PRCA is a serious bone marrow disorder that decreases the production of red blood cells. Critical Reviews in Oncology Hematology" notes a possible link between EPO and increased cancer growth. Lung, breast and ovarian cancer were all found to have receptor sites for EPO on tumor cells, meaning that EPO could stimulate tumor growth.

Allergic reactions to EPO have been reported. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include hives, trouble breathing and chest tightness. Leg pain or a pale or cool-feeling leg could be symptoms of a blood clot. If the clot gets loose and travels through the blood stream to the brain, it can cause a stroke. Symptoms of a stroke include sudden confusion or trouble speaking, vision loss, sudden numbness or loss of balance and loss of consciousness.