Jones was banned for two years by the IAAF

The American athlete's results dating back to September 2000 were erased last month by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

But it was up to the IOC to formally disqualify her and erase her medals.

Jones became the first woman to claim five medals in an Olympics when she won three golds and two bronzes in Sydney.

But she admitted in October that she took steroids ahead of the Games - where she won gold in the 100 metres, 200m and 4x400m relay and bronzes in the long jump and 4x100m relay.

She was banned for two years by the IAAF.

606: DEBATE

The decision to formally strip the disgraced athlete of her medals was announced by IOC president Jacques Rogge at the end of a three-day executive board meeting.

In terms of reallocating the medals, the IOC has yet to determine their course of action.

Investigations are continuing and it is feared other athletes may be involved in the doping scandal involving the San Francisco-based Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (Balco), which supplied performance-enhancing drugs.

Another complicating factor is that Sydney 100m silver medallist Katerina Thanou was also banned for a missed doping test before the 2004 Athens Games.

The IOC said it would offer Jones' relay team-mates a hearing to make their case for keeping their medals.