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Former training partner 'surprised' at Jones' confession
D Bogle
Sunday, October 07, 2007
FORMER Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles champion Gillian Russell-Love yesterday expressed surprise after her former training partner Marion Jones had pleaded guilty to lying to United States government investigators about using performance-enhancing drugs.
RUSSELL-LOVE. she would always push you and challenge you to do more
"I was a bit surprised because... when we trained together she always worked hard... she would always push you and challenge you to do more. She never gave up on anything, she never quit on any workout that I've ever noticed, and her work ethic was unbelievable. Not one day would she come in and complain," Russell-Love said.
The Jamaican and Jones, who won five gold medals at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, trained for a one-year period in 1997 under Jamaican coach Trevor Graham in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Russell-Love made the switch from college coach Amy Deem to Graham's camp not long after capturing a silver medal at the 1997 World Indoor Championships in Paris, France.
"Not one day would she (Jones) come in and complain. if it was snowing or we had training on Christmas Day, she never said, 'I'm not going to be there', she would always be the first person there," she said.
Jones, who won medals in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m, 4x400m and the long jump in Sydney, on Friday tearfully apologised for her actions and announced her retirement from track and field.
Jones had earlier told the court that she took steroids from September 2000 to July 2001 and said she was told by Graham that she was taking flaxseed oil when it was actually 'the clear'.
Former two-time 100m hurdles World Junior champion Russell-Love, who retired in 2001, told the Sunday Observer that the Belize-born Jones was very down-to-earth.
"After her first year she went out and bought a BMW M3 and she kept getting tickets so she just traded it in and got a Jeep Wrangler. she was just down to earth. she was just like a regular person."
However, Russell-Love said in hindsight, Jones performance in Sydney could have been seen as a bit supspicious.
"Some of us would slack off and she never did, so we just assumed that that was carrying her through, but when you think about it in hindsight, people get tired even after just the first event because it takes a lot out of you, and then to do the 200m after that, then the long jump and then the 4x100 and then 4x400m, that is kind of like a super-human effort," she said.
"When you think of it like that you might realise that it was probably a little unrealistic that she would not have had help," she added.
Russell-Love told the Sunday Observer that she stopped training with Graham after a year because she found the weather in North Carolina too cold and returned to Florida where she had attended the University of Miami.
D Bogle
Sunday, October 07, 2007
FORMER Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles champion Gillian Russell-Love yesterday expressed surprise after her former training partner Marion Jones had pleaded guilty to lying to United States government investigators about using performance-enhancing drugs.
RUSSELL-LOVE. she would always push you and challenge you to do more
"I was a bit surprised because... when we trained together she always worked hard... she would always push you and challenge you to do more. She never gave up on anything, she never quit on any workout that I've ever noticed, and her work ethic was unbelievable. Not one day would she come in and complain," Russell-Love said.
The Jamaican and Jones, who won five gold medals at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, trained for a one-year period in 1997 under Jamaican coach Trevor Graham in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Russell-Love made the switch from college coach Amy Deem to Graham's camp not long after capturing a silver medal at the 1997 World Indoor Championships in Paris, France.
"Not one day would she (Jones) come in and complain. if it was snowing or we had training on Christmas Day, she never said, 'I'm not going to be there', she would always be the first person there," she said.
Jones, who won medals in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m, 4x400m and the long jump in Sydney, on Friday tearfully apologised for her actions and announced her retirement from track and field.
Jones had earlier told the court that she took steroids from September 2000 to July 2001 and said she was told by Graham that she was taking flaxseed oil when it was actually 'the clear'.
Former two-time 100m hurdles World Junior champion Russell-Love, who retired in 2001, told the Sunday Observer that the Belize-born Jones was very down-to-earth.
"After her first year she went out and bought a BMW M3 and she kept getting tickets so she just traded it in and got a Jeep Wrangler. she was just down to earth. she was just like a regular person."
However, Russell-Love said in hindsight, Jones performance in Sydney could have been seen as a bit supspicious.
"Some of us would slack off and she never did, so we just assumed that that was carrying her through, but when you think about it in hindsight, people get tired even after just the first event because it takes a lot out of you, and then to do the 200m after that, then the long jump and then the 4x100 and then 4x400m, that is kind of like a super-human effort," she said.
"When you think of it like that you might realise that it was probably a little unrealistic that she would not have had help," she added.
Russell-Love told the Sunday Observer that she stopped training with Graham after a year because she found the weather in North Carolina too cold and returned to Florida where she had attended the University of Miami.
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