Today, the US Anti-Doping Agency announced that Tyson Gay has accepted a one year suspension and has forefitted all results from races dating back to July 15, 2012.
Gay, one of the US most accomplished track and field athletes of recent memory, tested positive for an anabolic steroid while taking an out-of-competition test, May 2013. The 31 year-old sprinter has already turned in his silver medal from the men’s 4x100-meter relay at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, and has been stripped of all other winnings since the July 15, 2012 date. Gay was currently preparing for the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, and had recently won his last race, posting a 9.79 time in the 100-meter dash at the Lausanne Diamond League Meeting.
“We appreciate Tyson doing the right thing by immediately withdrawing from competition once he was notified, accepting responsibility for his decisions, and fully and truthfully cooperating with us in our ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding his case,” said USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart.
The year long suspension will not keep Gay out of the 2016 Olympics in Rio, but it may hinder his qualifying position, and he will certainly be under greater scrutiny going forward. Gay isn't the only US track and field member to fail a drug test, most notably Marion Jones was forced to vacate her medals and victories after failing a test in 2006.
[FloTrack]
