In the midst of her financial problems and drug usage suspicions, Obadele Thompson married Marion Jones. When Marion admitted she cheated and lied through most of her athletic career, their marriage experienced more stress.

Here is information about Marion and Obadele's marriage and Marion's previous relationships.

News Updates:

9/05/08: After serving her federal prison sentence, Marion Jones was released on 9/05/08.

Part of her sentence was spent at a halfway house in San Antonio. Marion began her six-month sentence on 3/7/2008. She still has to serve 2 years' probation and perform 800 hours of community service.
Born:

Marion Lois Jones aka Marion Patrick Jones: October 12, 1975 in Los Angeles, California.

Obadele Thompson: March 30, 1976 in St. Michael, Barbados.

How Obadele and Marion Met:

Marion and Obadele met one another when they were training partners in Texas.

Wedding Date:

On February 24, 2007, Marion and Obadele were married at the Union Hill African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wilson's Mills, North Carolina. Obadele's relative, Reverend Vibert Tyrrel performed the wedding ceremony.

Rev. Vibert Tyrrel: "It was very homey, very quiet and simiple. Nothing elaborate, just a quiet, very small wedding."
Source: Gene Cherry. "Jones and Thompson tie the knot." IOL.co.za, March 8, 2007.

Children:

Marion has two sons.

• Tim (Monty) Montgomery, Jr: Born June 2003. Tim Montgomery is his father.
• Baby Thompson: Born July 2007. His father is Obadele Thompson.

• Source: NYTimes.com

Residence:

Marion and Obadele reside in Austin, Texas.

Occupations:

Marion: Track star and Olympic medal winner.
After years of being questioned about steroid use, on 10/5/2007, in a federal court, Marion admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs. Marion Jones had up to 3/11/08 to report to authorities to begin her six-month prison sentence for lying about her steroid use and about what she knew of a check fraud case that involved Tim Montgomery, her ex-boyfriend. Jones lost her five medals from the 2000 Olympics.

Marion's six-month federal prison sentence began 3/7/2008 when she reported to the Federal Medical Center-Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas. She was also sentenced to 2 years' probation and 800 hours of community service.

Obadele: Olympic medal winner in the 100 meters.

Previous Relationships:

The two men who were previously in Marion Jones' life, C.J. Hunter and Timothy Montgomery, "were banned from track and field for using illegal performance-enhancing drugs."
Source: Christine Brennan. USAToday.com

• C.J. Hunter: C.J. and and Marion began dating in January 1996 at UNC when he was working as a coach and she was a student. When their relationship became known, C.J. had to choose between his job and Marion. He quit the job, they became engaged in spring 1996, and they were married on October 3, 1998 in an outdoor wedding in Raleigh, North Carolina.

• Seven years older than Marion, C.J. had a previous marriage and two children when he and Marion married. C.J. was a NCAA chamption shot putter.
  Marion and C.J. separated in June 2001 and divorced in 2002 after C.J. was disgraced in a drug scandal. Although accused of having an axe to grind, in 2004, C.J. reportedly told investigators in the BALCO case that Marion was using banned substances.
  
• Tim Montgomery: Although Tim and Marion did not marry, they have a son together. Tim was banned from track in 2005 due to his usage of performance-enhancing drugs. In 4/07 Tim admitted cashing fraudulent checks.

Quotes About the Relationships of Marion Jones:

Marion about C.J.: "Because C.J. is not the most outgoing type of person, he focuses all his attention on me. If I'm happy, he's happy. That means a lot to me."
Source: Philip Hersh. "Take Five - Marion Jones goes for five gold medals in the 2000 Olympics." Sporting News, The. Sept 25, 2000. FindArticles.com. 05 Oct. 2007.

C.J. Hunter about Marion: "Everybody says I'm not good for her. She's my best friend. And that's all I'll say about it."
Source: "Marion Jones Timeline." CNNSI.com, January 3, 2002.

Marion about C.J.: "I've never in my life had somebody whom I could tell everything to. Now I can. I have a companion."
Source: "Marion Jones Timeline." CNNSI.com, January 3, 2002.

Brian Cazeneuve: "At the 1999 world championships, Jones and husband C.J. Hunter -- who won the shot put competition -- became the first married couple to win golds at a world championship."
Source: CNNSI.com

Marion about her mom and C.J.: "I didn't involve my mom all that much in the wedding process. I was still being a little standoffish with her. From the start, she hadn't really approved of C.J. she never told me in so many words -- she didn't need to. i knew she thought C.J. was too old for me, too brusque and brash. And she felt C.J. took me away from my family even more by hovering over me."
Source: Marion Jones. Marion Jones: Life in the Fast Lane - An Illustrated Autobiography, page 92.

Marion about her relationship with Tim: "A wedding is never a solution to a faltering relationship. Tim and I have the best parts of a marriage already -- we love each other, we're happy, our son is happy and our families are happy for us. I'm openminded about the prospect of marriage -- one bad experience didn't put me off the whole institution -- but I believe that if two people are responsible and are in a committed relationship, then a certificate and a ring don't make much of a difference."
Source: Marion Jones. Marion Jones: Life in the Fast Lane - An Illustrated Autobiography, page 196.