Several media outlets, including BBC, are reporting that Jamaican Olympic track star Usain Bolt has to give back his 2008 Olympic 4X100 relay gold medal. A re-analysis of the drug sample offered by teammate Nesta Carter was found to have tested positive for the banned substance methylhexaneamine. The forfeit by Bolt and his teammates means Bolt loses the coveted “triple treble.” That is winning gold in the 100, 200 individual sprints and the 4X100 relay in three consecutive Olympics. A feat never accomplished until Bolt did it in Rio last summer.
The IOC disciplinary commission released a statement that read:
The Athlete, Nesta Carter is found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation pursuant to the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing in 2008. [Carter] is disqualified from the men’s 4x100m relay event in which he participated upon the occasion of the Olympic Games Beijing 2008. The Jamaican team is disqualified from the men’s 4x100m relay event. The corresponding medals, medallist pins and diplomas are withdrawn and shall be returned.
The team’s world record time of 37.10 is no longer recognized and Trinidad & Tobago have now been awarded the 2008 relay gold, with Japan upgraded to silver and Brazil given bronze.
While the “triple treble” was an amazing accomplishment by Bolt, losing this medal doesn’t hurt his individual legacy too much. While there are many other Olympians with more medals, winning the individual sprint events (100 & 200) at three consecutive Olympics in dominant fashion is something we may never see again.