Former American Olympic sprint champion Marion Jones has agreed to an out-of-court settlement with convicted drug manufacturer Victor Conte, who accused her of using banned performance-enhancing drugs.
  
The 30-year-old Jones sued the founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative, or BALCO, for defamation after he claimed the Sydney 100-meter and 200-meter gold medalist had taken banned substances.  Jones was seeking $25 million in damages.  She has now agreed to drop the charges against Conte in exchange for an undisclosed settlement.
  
Conte is currently serving a four-month jail term for his part in the BALCO scandal.  Jones' estranged partner and former world 100-meter record-holder Tim Montgomery was found guilty of doping violations after the investigation of the San Francisco-based firm.

Although Jones has never failed a drug test, she has struggled since the allegations first arose and failed to make the U.S. team for last year's World Championships.  The U.S. Anti-Doping agency and Court of Arbitration for Sport are both still investigating her.