Jones's relay team mates stripped of medals

Jearl Miles-Clark, La Tasha Colander-Richardson, Monique Hennagan and Marion Jones (L-R) of the U.S. women's 4x400 meters relay team display their gold medals after their victory at the Olympic Games in Sydney on September 30, 2000. The team mates of Jones's paid the price for her use of banned substances when they were stripped of the relay medals they won at the 2000 Sydney Games on Thursday.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Team mates of disgraced American Olympic champion Marion Jones's paid the price for her use of banned substances when they were stripped of the relay medals they won at the 2000 Sydney Games on Thursday.

The executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled that the U.S. teams that won gold in the 4x400 meters and bronze in the 4x100 would lose their medals after Jones admitted she had used steroids in 2000.

"The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) will be asked to return the medals and certificates," IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies told a news conference.

"The IOC acknowledges that the three other athletes have paid the price for Marion Jones's guilt."

Jones, the first woman to win five athletics medals, three of them gold, at a single Olympics, had already been stripped of her medals.

Jearl Miles-Clark, Monique Hennagan and LaTasha Colander won the 4x400 meters with Jones while Chryste Gaines, Torri Edwards and Nanceen Perry placed third in the 4x100 in Sydney.

"The decision announced today... illustrates just how far-reaching the consequences of doping can be. When an athlete makes the choice to cheat, others end up paying the price, including team mates, competitors and fans," USOC chief executive officer Jim Scherr said in a statement.

"This situation underscores the importance of making decisions that are consistent with the ideals of fair play and clean competition."

The IOC executive board had yet to decide on how the medals that Jones and her team mates won in Sydney would be re-allocated, Davies added.

(Take a look at the Countdown to Beijing blog at blogs.reuters.com/china)

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Rex Gowar)