Last week Belize's sweetheart, Marion Jones, arrived in the country with her three year old son Monty. And while she did not receive the hero's welcome that greeted her back in 2001, that doesn't mean we love her any less. This afternoon Jones sat down with the press and spoke candidly about the past year, her plans for the future and the status of the sporting complex that bears her name.
Marion Jones, Home for a visit
“I am just visiting family, it’s been a few years since I’ve been here. So I’ve come to celebrate some family events and have my son see home for the first time and see his family and just really laying low. This is the off season as you some of you may know, so I’m not training presently, but just here to enjoy Belize.”
Marion on the past season
Marion Jones
“I won most of my races and my times are becoming faster and I’m starting to get faster and faster. It was a struggle after he was born and so much going on but I finally this year started to find my running style again and started to feel comfortable.”
Marion on the Balco Drug Scandal
Marion Jones
“I’ve moved past it a long time ago. The media sometimes will keep it going and keep it going, but I don’t wake up in the morning thinking about it. Occasionally when a question is asked about it, I will address it but it’s very simple, I’ve never done anything wrong, I’ve never taken any illegal substances and that’s really what it comes down to, there’s no need to get into it at all.”
Marion on the Marion Jones Sporting Complex
Marion Jones
“There was some money secured for the stadium and we’ve been waiting and have been waiting for a long time to see it equalled and it hadn’t been equalled, so that’s really where we’re at with that. Tomorrow I’ll have a chance to speak with some leaders in the government and continue talks.”
“It’s very unfortunate. I was very passionate and still am on seeing the youth in Belize able to participate, compete, train in a world class facility because that’s how you compete against the best in the world. But there have been some problems with money this that and the other, but by no means have I given up in the effort to make the stadium great.”
“Sure I would love for it to have already happened and for me to be having this press conference in a brand new facility, but we all know how things go sometimes and it takes a little longer than I would have wanted to, but I am not ashamed at all that my name is on the stadium, actually I am still very proud, because I know that with that things will happen.”
Marion’s Plans For the Future
Marion Jones
“I just need to make a lot of decision about the future. Over the next few months—my son is getting to be at an age where I want to be more and more—it’s necessary for me to more and more present. And to me that’s the most important thing in my life, please don’t get it wrong that track and field is the number one priority in my life, being a mother and being part of a family is the number one thing. I’ll just make some decision with my family about what the future holds. After 2008 he would have started school by then and I want to be around, I want to make sure he’s there when the school bus drop him off and I help him with homework and like that.”
Merry Christmas from Marion
Marion Jones
“I just want to say hello to all my fellow Belizeans. I am here in town and I just want to wish everybody a very happy and merry Christmas.”
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