IOC to reallocate Marion Jones’ medals

Two of the three individual Olympic medals stripped from Marion Jones for drug taking are finally to be re-allocated, nine years after she won them at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.



As a result, Jamaican Tanya Lawrence, who came third in the 100 metres will have her medal upgraded to silver and fellow Jamaican Merlene Ottey, will move up from fourth to bronze.



Jones’ 100-metre gold will not be included as the runner-up was the Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou, herself involved in a drugs scandal at the 2004 Games in Athens.



Another Jamaican, Beverly McDonald, will now get a medal.



McDonald finished fourth in the 200 metres and will be awarded the bronze. Sri Lanka’s Susanthika Kayasinghe will be promoted from bronze to silver and Pauline Davis-Thompson of the Bahamas will get the gold medal.



Jamaica could also be awarded the gold in the 4x400-metre relay.



In April 2008 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped all the relay medals from those involved in the 4x100 and 4x400 metres, because of Jones’ doping.



The relay runners appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, arguing it was wrong to punish them for Jones’ violations.



The Court of Arbitration for Sport is due to release its verdict on December 18.



Jamaica took silver behind the US in the 4x400-metre relay and will move up to gold if the standings are adjusted. Russia were third and Nigeria fourth.



The IOC’s executive board will on Wednesday reallocate the medals.