SHANGHAI, Sept 22: Age-defying sprint queen Merlene Ottey on Friday backed Marion Jones over her recent doping troubles and hit out at the laboratory “mistake” which returned a positive test for EPO.

Ottey, 46, who tested positive for nandrolone in 1999 but later had her ban rescinded, called for improved testing procedures.

“I can only imagine the pressure, the stress she was under, knowing she was innocent,” Ottey said here ahead of the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix.

“It's a bad situation because it's the athlete's life. I don't think a mistake like that should be made. You cannot go back and erase everything, it will always be there in the mind of the athlete.

“Unfortunately tests are not 100 percent and I'm hoping in the future no athlete should go through something like this.”

—AFP