Bolt unhappy with Gay’s ban duration

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt says Tyson Gay’s one-year ban for doping sends out a ‘bad message into the sport’.

Bolt (R) is unhappy with the 'inconsistency' between the bans handed out to Gay and Powell [Getty Images]

Usain Bolt believes anti-doping officials have sent a “bad message to the sport” after American sprinter Tyson Gay received only a one-year ban following a positive test for an anabolic steroid.

The sanction, handed to Gay by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), ended in June this year.

I'm not really happy with the situation and with how it was done

by Usain Bolt, World and Olympic champion

Gay, who returned to competition on July 3 and ran 9.93 in the 100 metres at the Lausanne Diamond League meeting, is the world’s joint second fastest man along with Yohan Blake (9.69).

“I’m not really happy with the situation and with how it was done,” Bolt said. “I think for someone like Asafa (Powell) to get a ban of 18 months for that (stimulant oxilofrine) and then Tyson Gay get just one year because of cooperating, I think it is sending a bad message into the sport that you can do it (dope) but if you cooperate with us, we’ll reduce the sentence.”

Both the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and track and field’s world governing body, the IAAF, have accepted the controversial ban.

“I don’t think that’s the right way to go because you are pretty much telling people that this is a way out, it’s a way of beating the system, so personally, I don’t think the IAAF dealt with that very well.”

WADA told Reuters in early June that it was satisfied with the decision, while later that month, the IAAF said that it would not appeal Gay’s ban.

Athletes normally receive two-year bans for their first major doping offence, but under anti-doping rules the sanction can be reduced for substantial cooperation.

USADA had said Gay was eligible for such a reduction because he offered what it termed “substantial assistance” in his case.

Source: Reuters