Jones denies Balco claims

Jones has been competing in relay meetings

Triple Olympic champion Marion Jones has denied fresh allegations linking her to the Balco doping scandal.

The New York Times reports that a $7350 cheque from the sprinter's bank account was sent to Balco founder Victor Conte.

Conte is one of the four men charged with distributing performance-enhancing drugs from the Californian laboratory.

"I have never signed, agreed, saw or knew anything about any cheques to Balco," Jones said. "That's the only thing I can say at this time."

Jones was one of the athletes called to testify in a grand jury investigation that resulted in the indictments of the four men.

I'm confident my name will be clear in the near future Marion Jones

No athletes have been charged in the case, and Jones has repeatedly claimed she had never met Conte, nor used performance-enhancing drugs during her career.

She was forced to defend herself again on Saturday, after anchoring two US relay teams to victory at the Penn Relays meeting.

But she expressed confidence that the US judicial system would clear her name.

"There's nothing that really surprises me anymore," Jones said.

"I have a team behind me that tells me what is going on and prepares me on what might happen. I'm going to let the judicial process do what it has to do.

"I'm confident my name will be clear in the near future."

Jones' lawyer, Rich Nichols, did not contest the existence of the cheque but insisted the legal process would show that Jones had "never signed, endorsed or approved" the cheque.