Tyson Gay
LONDON (AP):The entire United States men’s sprint relay team was stripped of its silver medal from the 2012 London Olympics yesterday as a result of Tyson Gay’s doping case.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) notified the US Olympic Committee by letter that the 4x100m relay team has been disqualified and all the medals withdrawn. The letter asks the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to collect the medals and return them to the IOC.
“As expected, following USADA’s (United States Anti-Doping Agency) decision in the Tyson Gay case, the IOC today confirmed that the US team has been disqualified from the 4×100-metre race that was part of the athletics competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games,” USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said in a statement.
“We will begin efforts to have the medals returned and support all measures to protect clean athletes.”
The USOC statement came after The Associated Press broke the news of the disqualification.
Gay returned his own medal last year after accepting a one-year doping suspension and the loss of results going back to July 2012, but the status of the US second-place finish in London and the medals of Gay’s relay teammates had remained in limbo until now.
Under international rules, an entire team can be disqualified and stripped of medals because of doping by one member.
Gay was a member of the American team that finished second in London behind a Jamaican team anchored by Usain Bolt. The Americans set a national record in the final with a time of 37.04 seconds.
The other US team members losing medals are Trell Kimmons, Justin Gatlin, Ryan Bailey, Jeffery Demps and Darvis Patton. Kimmons, Gatlin and Bailey ran in the final with Gay.
Gatlin, who is in Qatar for the opening Diamond League meet of the season tomorrow, told the AP he was not aware of the decision and had no comment. Gatlin, who won the 100-metre gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games, served a four-year doping ban from 2006.
reduced suspension
Gay tested positive for steroids at the US championships in 2013. He received a reduced suspension – rather than a two-year ban – because he cooperated with the USADA investigation that led to an eight-year ban for his former coach, Jon Drummond.
Gay’s results were annulled going back to July 15, 2012, the date when he first used a product containing a banned substance.
If the London medals are reallocated, the silver will go to Trinidad and Tobago, which finished third in 38.12 seconds. The bronze would go to the French team which placed fourth in 38.16 seconds.