Stripping Jones of her medals is fine. Stripping Torri Edwards and Chryste Gaines of theirs is fine; they were both suspended for doping. But, the International Olympic Committee is also going after Passion Richardson and Nanceed Perry, the other members of Jones’ 2000 Olympic bronze-placing 400-meter relay team. Perry and Richardson have never tested positive for any kind of performance enhancing drug and have never been suspected of doping.

Richardson has been defending herself this week:
“I competed fairly, and I should not have to suffer the consequences for someone else’s bad decisions and choices,” Passion Richardson said Wednesday on the CBS “Early Show.”

I understand why the olympic committee is thinking about stripping them of their medals–if three fifths of the team was doping, they might not have finished third under natural conditions–but I think taking that logic to it’s furthest possible conclusion is too harsh. Should the San Francisco Giants be stripped of their 2002 National League pennant because of Bonds’ steroid use? They probably wouldn’t have placed second in MLB without Bonds’ 8 post-season home runs, 16 RBI, and on-base percentages of .409, .591, and .700, respectively. Bonds led the team in OBP each series, and helped them win several key games, notably game five over Atlanta in the NLDS when he went 2-for-3 batting, along with a walk, for 1 RBI and 2 runs, in a 3-1 win.

Perry and Richardson should suffer for Jones’ mistakes. Yes, they might not have won medals, had their teammates been clean, but taking their medals serves no purpose. It is just mean-spirited and excessive. No one is going to be crying about those two getting away with having teammates cheat. The team that placed fourth isn’t going to be happy with medals they didn’t win. It’s emotionless enough to place third because someone in front of you is disqualified at the event, even more so seven years after.

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