RALEIGH, North Carolina, 20 May 2005 — The lawyer of US sprinter Marion Jones has asked the IAAF to end a boycott by European meetings of the Sydney Olympics triple champion.
Richard M. Nichols, in a letter addressed to International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) officials, called on the sport’s governing body to withdraw its sanctioning of any meeting which did not allow Jones to compete.
The Euro-Meetings Group, which represents nearly 50 European meetings, decided this month that Jones and her partner, 100 meters world record holder Tim Montgomery, should not be invited to any of their meetings this year because of their association with the BALCO laboratory in California.
Nichols, Jones’ long-time legal counsel, said the sprinter, who has never failed a doping test, is eligible under IAAF rules to compete. He called on the IAAF to “extinguish the ‘ban’ and ‘boycott’ imposed by Euro-Meetings Group”.
“If the Euro-Meetings Group and/or its individual members do not abide by the IAAF’s request (to end the ban) ....Ms Jones expects the IAAF to ...withdraw any and all IAAF permits, sanctions or other official IAAF authorization required to officially operate each and every international invitation meeting(s) organized and promoted by each and every member of the Euro-Meetings Group,” Nichols wrote.
