Former Olympic athlete Marion Jones who went to prison for using performance-enhancing drugs reflects on her downfall

Former Olympic athlete Marion Jones - who went to prison after using performing-enhancing drugs - has spoken out about her tumultuous fall from grace as she insisted she would have won the gold without the stimulants. 

The mom-of-three, now 48, was at the height of career during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, at which she achieved a whopping three gold and two bronze medals. 

At the time, Marion was known to the world as the fastest woman as she showcased her immense power and strength while in track and field. 

However, it all came to a screeching halt in 2008 when the athlete was sentenced to six months in prison, two years of supervised release and 800 hours of community service when she admitted to using performing-enhancing drugs, despite having initially denied the allegations. 

Sixteen years after being stripped of her title, Marion is now reflecting on 'why certain choices were made' as she remained adamant that she would have amassed the same number of medals even without the drugs. 

While speaking to Good Morning America, the all-round track and field star opened up about her life-changing decision to take the enhancers and how she feels about the Paris Olympics. 

She insisted that she would have still been able to win and hold the title of the fastest woman in the world without the drugs during the 2000 Olympics due to her 'enormous talent.'

The runner told GMA: 'The answer's very easy for me: 1,000 per cent. And that's what makes it very hard. 

'I was blessed with just an enormous amount of talent... But knowing that it didn't need to happen the way that it did always will stick with me as a moment that is hard.'

Marion went to jail for six months in 2008 and has since focused on living a private life - adding that her time behind bars made her reflect on her decisions. 

'When I was in 49 days of solitary confinement, and I was sitting there saying, "Okay, Marion, you could allow all of this to just put you under. Or you can use what your mom has always said about you, that you're something special, and that you're unique."

'I was not gonna allow my poor choices to waste her dream,' she explained. 

Now, the runner has accepted the decisions she made and is looking to helping others who are hoping to become star athletes by beginning her coaching journey. 

She added: 'Well, I would hope that people would look at my journey, Robin, and ultimately come to the conclusion that failure isn't forever. 

'That although many people cannot relate to being an Olympic athlete, an Olympic champion, a convicted felon, everybody can relate when it comes to failure in their lives, right?' 

Marion revealed that she now 'loves' coaching and mentoring sports icons who are looking to take their career to the next step. 

Now that she has come to understand and accept her choices, she noted that it helps others know that they can always get back up again after failing. 

She told GMA: 'I would hope that when people see my story ultimately they say, "You know what? 

'"Yeah, she went through some stuff. Lot of it [is] because of her own choices. But she didn't stay there, and she didn't allow it all to ultimately consume her."' 

Marion branded her decisions 'poor' and said that she 'put in work' - adding that it the drugs don't take away from her talents.

Now, the former Olympic star is focusing on coaching and reliving her glory days by following along with the 2024 Paris Olympics, which has seen the Team USA Gymnastics squad garnering gold medals.

Marion gushed over Simone Biles - who is currently facing off against teammate Suni Lee in all-around for gold. 

She told the outlet that she and her daughter have been tuning in and watching the 'rock star female athletes.' 

After pleading guilty nearly two decades ago, Marion lost out on five Olympic medals from 2000, three of them gold, and five more from the World Championships in 1999 and 2001.