California, May 23: Marion Jones and Maurice Green address drug controversy at California track meet. Marion Jones has strongly denied any involvement in the drugs controversy that has been dogging athletics in the United States. Jones's comment came as Kelli White, a sprinter who won the 100 and 200 meters titles at the 2003 world track championships, was banned for two years after admitting to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that she had taken prohibited performance drugs, including undetectable steroids and the blood booster erythropoietin, or EPO. Speaking at the Home Depot Track and Field Invitational in Carson, California on Saturday (May 22), Jones said although she wouldn't comment directly on White's cooperation with USADA, she did take issue with the description of White as "courageous." "The only thing I really didn't like and I'll be truthful with this is the fact that you know USADA commented that they commended her "courageous" act by admitting that she tested positive and you know I don't understand how you can commend that and the fact that she admitted she's "courageous", Jones said. Jones, who has also been the target of rumors about whether or not she has ever tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, insisted she was not only innocent of the allegations but also bewildered as to why she was being targeted. "I want to know exactly what you want to know. Why are they trying to bring down athletes with no positive tests? Why are you trying to ban an athlete who has not tested positve for any banned substances? That's what we all want to know, that's what I want to know and that's why I want to meet with them," Jones said.


Sprinter Maurice Green, who won the 100 metres in a time of 9.86 seconds and is the defending Olympic champion, said he was glad the drug-testing spotlight was shining on athletics.


""It's time for our sport to be clean and everything that we do, everything that I love will be able to go down in history with no questions asked," Green said.


Earlier, Green amused the crowd with his post-race antics that included having his shoes sprayed with a fire extinguisher. Green's high spirits continuesd at the press conference when he spoke about his Olympic preparations.


""First thing I have to think about is Olympic trials. That's the only thing on my mind then I can go and pick up this package that Athens said that they have for me. But they told me they couldn't mail it because of customs or something so I have to go over there and pick it up. It's a gold medal it's already engraved with my name on it," Green said.


Bureau Report