Usain Bolt says ‘rules are rules’ after turning in Olympic Games gold medal
Teammate Nesta Carter tested positive for the banned substance methylhexaneamine in a retest of Beijing 2008 samples
Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt insisted that the loss of one of his nine Olympic Games gold medals because of the doping sanction of relay teammate Nesta Carter won’t tarnish his legacy.
“I am disappointed based on losing a medal, but it won’t take away from what I have done throughout my career, because I have won my individual events and that’s the key thing,” Bolt said.
Bolt said he had already handed back the 4x100 metre relay gold from the 2008 Beijing Games, which the International Olympic Committee officially withdrew from Jamaica this week because of Carter’s positive drug test.
“I am not fully happy about the situation but rules are rules,” Bolt said, noting that Carter and Jamaica’s athletics authorities are planning to appeal the sanction.
“We have to sit and see how that works out.”
Bolt, Carter, Asafa Powell and Michael Frater were on the Jamaican relay squad that was disqualified after Carter tested positive for the banned substance methylhexaneamine in a retest of Beijing samples. All of them surrendered their medals on Friday.