Story by Eric.
This is the 47th submission in a long series about Marion Jones, a former elite sprinter who won (stole) honour and earned (stole) endorsements, fame and fortune by method of fraud.
This story is being told in its entirety, because Marion Jones is unable to do it herself. This is the final of a section is titled, "'Bad company', said the thief, as he went to the gallows between the hangman and the monk."
BALCO testimony, which the US Government requested this week to be made available, links Tim Montgomery to a previous tie with Charlie Francis, with the San Francisco Chronicle reporting that Montgomery was introduced to Francis at a BALCO meeting to determine the technical ways Ben Johnson was able to establish the world record, and to work on “Project World Record” – prior to his split from Trevor Graham. [1]
Marion Jones stated that her search for a new “technician” could enable her to improve.
“I had a wonderful relationship with my former coach Trevor Graham,” Jones said. “Just like anything, sometimes people just grow apart.
“Last year, I decided it was time for a change. I searched around the world to try and find a coach who had the technical expertise that I needed, and I found Charlie Francis.
“Technically, if you'll ask anybody in the world, he is the expert when it comes to sprinting. So I didn't think anything of the drug situation.
“When that happened [the Ben Johnson bust] I was a little girl, but since then I have severed ties, and it had nothing to do with any of my sponsors putting pressure on me. I just felt for the sake of the sport it was time I looked some place else...”[2]
Marion Jones and Montgomery received a public scolding from the USA athletics federation, the International Amateur Athletics Federation, and other athletes – including Maurice Greene and Michael Johnson.
Johnson, in his criticism of Jones, went so far as to state Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery should be banned from IAAF Golden League events due to this association with Francis:
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