IANS
 
Monaco, Nov  24: American sprinter Marion Jones was stripped of all results since Sep 1, 2000, including the Sydney Olympics where she won five medals.
 
In Monaco, the International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) governing council ruled that Jones' results be annulled after she confessed last month to taking the designer steroid tetrahydrogestrinone before the 2000 Games.

Jones, 32, won the gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x400m relay and bronze in the long jump and 4x100m relay at the 2000 Olympics.

IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said the council would ask the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to disqualify the US women's 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams from the Sydney Games.

But the governing body was reluctant to recommend Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou, who was the silver medallist in the 100 behind Jones, to be awarded the gold medal.

Thanou was given a two-year suspension for missing three dope tests, the last on the eve of the 2004 Games in Athens.

"We can't decide not to give her the medal," Davies said. "We will inform them of the decision but it's really up to the IOC. They will decide what to do."

The US Olympic Committee, whose chairman Peter Ueberroth last month urged the American relay members to return their medals, said it supported the IAAF decision.

"Given the recent admission by Ms Jones that cheating was involved, we agree the medals should be returned," USOC spokesman Darryl Seibel said. "This has been our position throughout."

The IAAF will also request that Jones return all prize money awarded since September 2000, estimated at $700,000. "We will ask for the money to be paid back," IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss told reporters.

Jones, who has formally retired from athletics, declared bankruptcy earlier this year.