FILE: ATHLETICS: Double sprint world champion Tyson Gay admits he has tested positive for a substance and is pulling out of next month's world championships in Moscow

Record ID: 277920

  • Title: FILE: ATHLETICS: Double sprint world champion Tyson Gay admits he has tested positive for a substance and is pulling out of next month's world championships in Moscow
  • Date: 14th July 2013
  • Summary: CARSON, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - MAY 15, 2008) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF U.S. SPRINTER TYSON GAY TRAINING
  • Embargoed: 29th July 2013 13:00
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  • Location: Belgium, Usa, Sweden, United Kingdom
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  • Country: Usa Sweden Belgium United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA9XV0OF20FZF0FA54KIDMAEQ4
  • Story Text: Former double sprint world champion Tyson Gay said on Sunday (July 14) he had tested positive for a substance he could not identify and was pulling out of next month's world championships in Moscow.
    Gay, who had the year's fastest 100 metres time of 9.75 seconds, said in telephone conference call to two reporters, he was notified by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) on Friday (July 12) that his A sample from an out-of-competition test on May 16 had returned a positive.
    The B sample is yet to be tested, said Gay.
    Healthy after years of injury, Gay, the joint second-fastest man in history over 100 metres, had been considered a strong challenger for Jamaican world record holder Usain Bolt at the Aug. 10-18 world championships after winning the American trials in blazing times.
    He had put down the year's three fastest 100 times, topped by his 9.75 at last month's U.S. meeting. Only Bolt has run faster than Gay's 19.74 seconds in the 200 this year.
    USA Track & Field, the sport's U.S. governing body, said in a statement: "It is not the news anyone wanted to hear, at any time, about any athlete.
    "As we approach the world championships, we will remain focused on the competition at hand and winning the right way."
    The governing body said it did not know the facts of the case and looked to USADA to adjudicate it and handle it appropriately.
    Gay appeared set to win his first Olympic individual gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games but the emergence of Bolt and injuries ended that chance.
    He ran an American record 9.69 seconds, at the time the second fastest ever, in 2009 but was never fully healthy at ensuing Olympic and world championships.
    He finished a heart-breaking fourth at the London Olympics but won a silver medal in the 4x100 metres relay.
    Factbox on former 100 metres world champion Tyson Gay, who on Sunday announced he had tested positive for an unidentified substance.
    - Born on Aug. 9, 1982, in Lexington, United States - Is the equal second fastest man ever over 100 metres, alongside Jamaican Yohan Blake, after clocking 9.69 seconds in Shanghai in September 2009. Only world record holder Usain Bolt has run fasterr.
    - He is the fifth fastest over 200 following his 19.58 in New York in May 2009.
    - Completed a memorable sweep of the men's sprinting titles at the 2007 world championships in Osaka when he won the 100 and 200 titles and was part of the triumphant American 4x100 relay team. Gay clocked 9.85 seconds to win the 100 and 19.76 in the 200.
    - With Bolt continuing his world record breaking feats at the 2009 world championships, Gay finished second in the 100 in Berlin in a time of 9.71.
    - Injuries marred his build up to the 2008 Olympics and he ended up being eliminated in the semi-finals of the 100 at the Beijing Games. He then just missed out on the medals when he finished fourth in the highly anticipated 100 final in London last year. Gay was a member of the U.S. 4x100 metres relay team who won silver behind Jamaica.
    - With his injury problems seemingly behind him, Gay has displayed good form in 2013 - The 9.75 he ran to win last month's U.S world championship trials in Iowa is the fastest time over 100 metres this year. Also clocked the second fastest 200 time of the year after running 19.74 at the same meet.
    - Gay's latest competitive outing was the Diamond League meet in Lausanne where he won the 100 in 9.79.
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