Marion Jones’ relay partners to learn in 2 months if they can keep Olympic medals

Marion Jones’ relay team to get medal decision

COPENHAGEN — Marion Jones’ relay teammates will learn by Dec. 18 whether they can keep their medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee had hoped the Court of Arbitration for Sport would rule this month. But the CAS postponed the decision for another two months.

“We’ll have to wait until then,” IOC vice president Thomas Bach said Thursday at an IOC meeting in the Danish capital.

Jones lost all five of her medals — including three gold — after admitting in 2007 that she was using performance-enhancing drugs at the time of the games. The Americans won gold in the 4×400-meter relay and bronze in the 4×100 relay. Jones also won the 100 and 200 and took bronze in the long jump.

The IOC has held off reallocating Jones’ medals to other athletes, pending more evidence in the BALCO steroid probe and the relay appeal. If CAS turns down the appeal, the IOC will immediately ask the IAAF to amend the results of the relays, Bach told The Associated Press.

“Either they can keep the medals, if CAS decides so,” Bach said. “If not, then we will ask the international federation to correct the results according to the CAS decision.”

The court’s secretary general, Matthieu Reeb, told the AP he does not expect a ruling much before Dec. 18.

“Knowing my arbitrators, they will probably use the time rather than speed up, so I’m afraid it will be December and not November,” he said. “There are a lot of legal issues submitted by the parties, especially by the claimants, the athletes, which need to be addressed and this takes a lot of time.”

Reeb acknowledged, however, that “it’s probably now the time to put an end to this case.”

In the women’s races, Jamaica took silver behind the U.S. in the 4×400 relay and stands to move up to gold if the medals are readjusted. Russia would move from bronze to silver and Nigeria from fourth to bronze. In the 400 relay, France was fourth behind the Americans and would be promoted to the bronze.

Jones’ teammates on the 4×400 relay squad were Jearl-Miles Clark, Monique Hennagan, LaTasha Colander-Richardson and Andrea Anderson. The 4×100 relay squad had Chryste Gaines, Torri Edwards, Nanceen Perry and Passion Richardson.

The IOC pledged in August to speed up the process of reallocating the medals — which has dragged on since 2007 — but the CAS postponement marks yet another delay.

“It is frustrating that it’s taken so long,” Bach said. “But it’s not about our frustration, it’s about the frustration of the other athletes who placed behind (the United States).”

Bach also said the IOC is close to deciding whether to disqualify five athletes who tested positive for the banned endurance booster CERA at the Beijing Games. The five, including Olympic 1,500-meter champion Rashid Ramzi, had their cases heard by an IOC panel in July. All deny doping.

“We’re about to deliberate in the different disciplinary commissions, and I’m confident that in the next couple of weeks we can come to a decision,” Bach said.

AP Sports Writer John Leicester contributed to this report.