Usain Bolt to be stripped of 2008 Olympics gold medal?

Jackie Bamberger | Fourth Place Medal

10 June 2016 at 1:25 am

Usain Bolt could be stripped of one of his six gold medals because of doping accusations surrounding his 4x100 relay teammate at the 2008 games in Beijing.

Reuters reported Wednesday that retests of two separate samples from the 2008 games found traces of a banned substance in the blood and urine of Nesta Carter, who ran the leadoff leg for Jamaica.

Methylhexanamine, which has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2004, showed up in both of Carter’s samples. In 2011, WADA classified methylhexanamine as a "specified substance," meaning it is more likely to have been used for non-doping purposes than other substances.

Carter (far left) with Bolt (far right). Image: Getty

The IOC could strip the entire 2008 Jamaican relay team, which includes Bolt, Asafa Powell and Michael Frater, of their medals if Carter's use of the stimulant is deemed to have been intentional. Jamaica set a new world record in that race, winning in 37.1 seconds.

Carter would be one of 31 athletes across six sports who tested positive for banned substances after the IOC recently performed retests of 454 samples from Beijing.

Last year, members of the American 4x100m relay team lost their silver medals from the London 2012 games due to Tyson Gay's doping scandal.

Carter was also a member of Jamaica’s gold-winning 2012 sprint relay team, but the status of that medal is not in jeopardy. Jamaica smashed its own world record in London, completing the race in 36.84 seconds.

Carter also competed for his country at the 2011, 2013 and 2015 World Championships and owns a personal best of 9.78 seconds in the 100m. He has not competed yet this season.

Bolt will be looking to defend his individual titles in the 100m and 200m this summer in Rio.