American sprint star Marion Jones says she will take legal action against BALCO Laboratory chief Victor Conte over his allegations that she took performance enhancing drugs.
In a statement issued through her attorney Friday, Jones said "Victor Conte's allegations about me are not true, and the truth will come out in the appropriate forum." "I have instructed my lawyers to vigorously explore a defamation lawsuit against Victor Conte."
Conte is one of four men facing criminal charges in the investigation of the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative. He said in a television interview on ABC's 20/20 program that prior to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, he supplied Jones with several banned drugs and instructed her how to use them.
Jones' attorney, Rich Nichols, said in a statement that "Mr. Conte's statements have been wildly contradictory while Marion Jones has steadfastly maintained her position throughout - she has never, ever, used performance enhancing drugs."
Jones has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing and has never failed a drug test. She won three gold medals and two bronze medals in Sydney, but struggled to qualify for the 2004 Athens Games.
Some information provided by AP and AFP.
