Ex-hubby says Jones used drugs

SAN FRANCISCO — The ex-husband of three-time Olympic champion Marion Jones told federal investigators that Jones was using banned performance-enhancing drugs during the 2000 Games in Sydney where she won five medals, two newspapers reported.

The San Francisco Chronicle said C.J. Hunter told Internal Revenue Service investigators pursuing the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative case that he personally injected his then-wife with banned substances and saw Jones inject herself with the drugs at their home in Australia.

The San Jose Mercury News, citing anonymous sources, also reported Hunter’s charges to the investigators.

Both newspapers had the stories on their Web sites Thursday night.

Human growth hormone, the steroid THG, insulin and the endurance-boosting drug EPO were among the substances Hunter alleged that Jones used.

Hunter, who won a shot put world title in 1999, tested positive for steroids four times in 2000 — when he was married to Jones, who has adamantly denied using banned substances.

Jones’ attorney, Joseph Burton, released a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday night accusing Hunter of lying to authorities because he was bitter about the couple’s breakup.

Jones, who had three gold medals among the five she won in Sydney, is scheduled to compete in the long jump at next month’s Olympics in Athens. She failed to qualify in the 100 meters at last week’s Olympic trials in Sacramento, Calif., and withdrew from the 200.

Citing investigators’ memos, the Chronicle reported that Hunter gave a 2 1/2 -hour interview to IRS investigators on June 8 in Raleigh, N.C., and had a follow-up call a week later.

During the interview, Hunter alleged that Jones had used banned substances before, during and after the Sydney Olympics.

“Hunter stated that he saw Jones inject herself with EPO,” IRS agent Erwin Rogers wrote in one of the memos quoted by the Chronicle. “Jones would inject herself in the front waist line area slightly underneath the skin. … Initially, Hunter injected Jones because Jones did not want to inject herself in this location.”

Hunter alleged that Jones obtained performance-enhancing drugs from Victor Conte, owner of BALCO, and from her coach, Trevor Graham.