Usain Bolt’s golden Olympic record was diminished Wednesday after Jamaican compatriot Nesta Carter tested positive for a banned substance.
Carter’s positive test means Bolt must return one of his nine Olympic gold medals.
The 30-year-old Bolt cemented his status as an all-time great by completing an unprecedented ‘triple triple’ in Rio 2016, becoming the only man to win all three sprint events at three Olympic Games.
But the gold the Jamaican won in the 4x100m relay in Beijing 2008 will no longer count after governing body the International Olympic Committee (IOC) disqualified the Caribbean island’s sprint team Wednesday.
Re-analysis of Carter’s samples from Beijing resulted in a positive test for the prohibited substance methylhexaneamine.
All four members of the team – Bolt, Asafa Powell, Michael Frater and Carter, a bronze medalist at the 2013 World Championships – lose their titles.
Last summer Bolt, the 100m and 200m world record holder, said returning one of his golds would be “heartbreaking” but added that he “would not have a problem” doing so.
Bolt’s agent Ricky Simms was not immediately available for comment.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.