The US women who won the Sydney Olympic 4×400-metre relay and came third in the 4×100m relay along with drug-tainted Marion Jones have been stripped of their medals by the International Olympic Committee after Jones tested positive.

The committee’s executive board took this extreme step after Jones admitted that she indulged into doping during the games. It was remarked by IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies that the US Olympic Committee had been asked to return the medals won by the two relay teams, 4×100 meters and the 4×400 meters.

From Foxsports.com.au:

Jones had already been stripped of three gold medals and two bronze medals by the IOC after admitting taking performance-enhancing drugs and is currently serving a six-month prison sentence for lying to investigators over steroid use and a cheque-fraud scheme that involved her former partner, Tim Montgomery.

Although the other team members were innocent parties and only Jones was implicated in doping, an IOC official who asked not to be named said that they were seen to have benefited from the doping episode.

Davies said that the US Olympic Committee had been asked by the IOC to return the medals won by the two relay teams.

No decision has been taken on the reallocation of medals won by Jones and the US relay teams, she said, adding that the step would be taken by the next board meeting in June or the one following that in August.

US Olympic officials were unavailable for comment and it was unknown whether they intended to appeal the IOC decision.

Jones was the toast of the US women’s track team in Sydney and her humiliating fall from grace did not come until October last year when she admitted lying to federal agents during the course of the BALCO steroid distribution probe.

All records of Jones since September 1, 2000 have been taken off from the records and she has been banned from competition by sport’s governing body even though Jones tried to save herself by announcing retirement.