Marion Jones reportedly tests positive

WASHINGTON — American sprinter Marion Jones, a five-time Olympic medalist, failed a drug test at the national championships in Indianapolis in June, according to sources with knowledge of the test results.

The substance for which Jones tested positive is erythropoietin, or EPO, an endurance-boosting drug, the sources said.

The results of the test have not been made public because the testing on Jones' urine sample has not been completed, sources said. Only after the second half of her sample — the backup sample — is tested, would Jones be charged with a doping violation. If EPO is found in the "B" sample as well, she would face a two-year ban from track and field.

Jones, 30, has been dogged with doping allegations since the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) drug scandal broke in 2003, but she has vehemently maintained her innocence and boasted that she had never failed a drug test.

Should Jones be charged with a doping violation, she would become the third prominent American athlete to face such charges in the last several weeks.

Cyclist Floyd Landis tested positive for an excessive ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone after a stage of the Tour de France, an event he proceeded to win.

Sprinter Justin Gatlin, a three-time Olympic medalist who shares the world record in the 100 meters with Asafa Powell of Jamaica, admitted he tested positive for testosterone or its precursor at the Kansas Relays in April.

Jones' agent, Charlie Wells, did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Attorney Joseph Burton, who represented Jones when the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency investigated her in connection to the BALCO case, also did not return a call.

When an athlete's "A" sample is found to contain a banned substance, the athlete is notified and given the opportunity to be present at the testing of the "B" sample, which nearly always confirms the previous one. It is not known when Jones' "B" sample will be tested. It can take several weeks for the process to run its course.

USADA chief executive Terry Madden declined comment. Spokesmen for USA Track & Field and the U.S. Olympic Committee also declined comment.

Because the test came out of a U.S. meet, the results would be handled by the USADA.

EPO, considered a popular drug among distance runners and cyclists, was not known to be helpful to sprinters until the BALCO scandal unfolded. U.S. sprinter Kelli White, who lost two world sprint titles because of drug charges, admitted using it along with steroids. The USADA won cases charging other sprinters with using EPO.

After winning five medals — three gold — at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Jones' career stalled. But this summer she returned to high-level competition.

Jones won the 100-meter title at the U.S. championships and five prestigious international races at the distance.

The positive test, if supported by the "B" sample, could end Jones' career. She was once considered Nike's biggest client and arguably the most marketable female athlete in the world.