Disgraced US sprinter, Tim Montgomery, has been jailed for a total of five years after being found guilty of dealing heroin, by a court in Virginia. Montgomery is already serving a prison sentence for fraud and conspiracy offences after taking part in a bogus cheques scheme.

The sprinter, who previously boasted a world record before it was stripped from him after he was found to have used steroids, pleaded guilty to possessing over 100 grams of heroin with intent to distribute.

Montgomery’s lawyer, James Broccoletti, has spoken of Montgomery’s life in prison, saying that he is "optimistic" and keen to "proceed with life and get back on track”. However, unfortunately for the sprinter, such sentiments seem empty and there is a real sense that the public has heard it all before.

Whilst on trial for his part in the fraud and money-laundering project, he argued that his public fall from grace was punishment enough and that a prison sentence was not necessary: “I stood at the top of the mountain and heard the cheers from the people. In jail, my status is gone. I am just as human as everyone else”. Unsurprisingly, this plea fell on deaf ears.

The sprinter is unlikely to receive any sympathy from the public following his latest jail sentence. The general view towards Montgomery can perhaps be summed up by the words spoken by ruthless New York judge, Kenneth Karas, who was in charge of the fraud case: “being a track star does not somehow disable someone from saying no”.