She sat on a bench at Hampton University's Armstrong Stadium on a sunny morning a couple of months back and emphatically said "no" and "never."

Marion Jones said she did not use drugs or performance enhancers. Said she had never used them. Said she believed in a drug-free sport and would campaign for a drug-free sport all her days.

Understood that some folks were convinced she was guilty by association. Pointed out that she's passed, oh, about a thousand drug tests in her career.

You listened and you wanted to believe her. What was it? The sincerity in her voice? The confidence that came from competing well again? The smile, that radiant smile?

Yet here we are two months later and Jones, the former Olympic champ and world's fastest woman, tested positive for the illegal performance enhancer, erythropoietin (EPO).

The positive test reportedly occurred at the U.S. Track and Field Championships, about two weeks after that sunny morning at HU where she said "no" and "never."

"I was in total shock," HU women's track coach Maurice Pierce said. "Not in disbelief of Marion, because I still believe she's a true champion and has never indulged herself with drugs or enhancements. But it's a total shock because I know her personally and I'm still waiting for the 'B' sample (results) to come back."

That's what big-time professional sports have come to: doubts, denials, attorneys, public relations, and waiting for the 'B' sample to come back.

Just this summer, drug tests took down the Tour de France winner (Floyd Landis) and the world's fastest man (Justin Gatlin). Not to mention the periodic NFL suspension and the ongoing staredown between Monsieur Bonds and anyone remotely interested in the truth.

Put it this way: Where pro sports are concerned, accumulated evidence has left the notion of benefit-of-the-doubt on life support.

Pierce has known Jones since 2000 and considers her a friend. He is also tight with Jones' coach, Norfolk-based Steve Riddick, and arranged for them to use the facilities at Hampton U., with the school administration's blessing.

For the past couple of years, Jones periodically commuted from her home in Raleigh, N.C., to Hampton for training sessions.

Hampton and the HU campus provided a low-key environment, Jones said that day, as she tried to resurrect her career from age, injuries and the effects of childbirth, and her image from allegations of drug use as part of the BALCO tar pit.

Pierce said he hasn't spoken to Jones in more than a month. He still sees and speaks to Riddick regularly, but said the two do not discuss Jones' situation.

Pierce gets his news about Jones like everyone else, from the papers, TV, the Internet. He knows that Jones denies using EPO, that she wants the 'B' sample tested and results released as quickly as possible.

"Marion's an intelligent woman," Pierce said. "She's had some things around her that didn't go her way, and some people around her that haven't done great things. But I just can't see how she would do something like that with all the things that she's been through. Especially at the U.S. Championships. It just doesn't make sense."

After the U.S. Championships, Pierce and Jones were at a meet in Lausanne, Switzerland at which Jones was competing. Pierce helped Jones warm up and spent time around her.

"If you were around her, you wouldn't have thought that she was even thinking about something like a drug test or that something like this would happen," Pierce said.

Pierce said he hasn't heard a thing from the higher-ups at HU about Jones, about whether she is welcome to continue training there.

"If it were up to me, I would still welcome her, because I know her and I believe in her," Pierce said. "But if the 'B' sample came back and it was positive, I think Marion's intelligent enough not to come back to a university setting around some young folks that still look up to her."

Regardless of the outcome for Jones, excessive admiration of professional athletes has become a different kind of false positive.