World-class sprinter Tyson Gay appeared to be back on track after injuries plagued his career, but he now faces an uphill climb after testing positive for a banned substance, according to Pat Graham of the Associated Press.
The news comes prior to next month's world championships in Moscow, from which Gay has already decided to withdraw. Although Gay hasn't revealed which substance he tested positive for, he reportedly "fought back sobs" during a telephone interview and claimed that he trusted someone that he shouldn't have.
Per Graham, Gay stated, "I don't have a sabotage story. ... I basically put my trust in someone and I was let down."
According to the report, Gay tested positive for the banned substance during an out-of-competition test on May 16. His "B" sample has yet to be tested by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, but if that sample also comes back positive, then Gay could face a lengthy ban.
Full story here (link).
Gay wasn't the only sprinter to test positive for banned substances this weekend, as Asafa Powell and four other Jamaican athletes tested positive as well.
Powell, Nesta Carter and Sherone Simpson are three of the five, according to the Telegraph. Powell, Carter and Simpson are all members of the same track club, MVP.
Usain Bolt‘s agent told multiple outlets that Bolt is not part of it.
(link)
Smaller By The Day
Ouch! I don't know how it works in these types of events, but in USA PowerLifing that would get you a 3 year ban. Well, it would get you a 3 year ban unless it was extremely high caffeine. I think that only gets you 6 months or something. They used a little common sense on that one.
Improvements
Weight 100 pounds lost
5K 31:02 Sept. 2012 / 23:36 Sept. 2013 (Same Course)
10K 48:59 April 2013
HM 2:03:56 Nov. 2012 / 1:46:50 March 2013
MARATHON 3:57:33 Nov. 2013
Caretaker/Overlook Hotel
Angry doesn't begin to describe it for me. Forget that he might have taken anything.......I have been anticipating for YEARS that I might see Gay and Bolt at their best going to battle!
Aaaaaaarrrrrghhhhghggh!!
Now, I'm dying to know what substance it was!
Randy
I'm sorry but I don't buy the "I trusted someone I shouldn't have trusted" argument. At my small university, we repeatedly tell our student-athletes that it is they and they alone are responsible for what goes into their bodies. The use of PED's is rarely accidental. Mind you, I don't get nearly as morally outraged as many folks do. If I could make a few million extra dollars by using PED's knowing that I could probably get by with it for a long time without getting caught, I'd sure as hell do it. I'm not nearly moral enough to turn down millions for some bullshit like, "the integrity of sport." It's a business plain and simple.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
I'm sorry but I don't buy the "I trusted someone I shouldn't have trusted" argument.
Yeah that is a tough one swallow, unless perhaps he trusted that it would be undetectable maybe?
I am not going to jump on a soapbox either, I rarely if ever do. I am more irritated that he will not be in the field to bolt against Bolt and Gatlin.
Maybe he trusted somebody who told him it would be undetectable?
I don't have much moral outrage either, I kind of like watching records get broken. I just assume all the top elites in track & field (and cycling) are on something, and it's just a question who has the best masking technology to avoid getting caught.
I remember an old SNL bit about the all-steroid Olympics, maybe we will get to see that someday. Or more likely we already are.
I have always had a hard time believing Bolt is clean, as superhuman as some of his performances have been.
Dave
Hip Redux
Yep, ha!
If people are looking at professional athletes for their morality, they will always be let down.
Yeah. I think people underestimate the power of a million dollar carrot.
I don't believe the "I trusted someone" bullshit. Most athletes seem to be more into getting fast results no matter the consequences. What happened with train hard?
Ugh.
Damaris
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What happened with train hard?
They do, with a little help. Allegedly.
When Alberto Contadork was caught, it was Clenbuterol. (Drug used to build muscle in animals as well as speed growth often used in bodybuilding). The amount detected was some 400 times less than required by the WADA of Germany which, I think, goes to show that while these guys could "time" this stuff under the noses of these doping agencies, I think now the tests are too good and thus they must be able to detect even the smallest of doses.
Adding to Contadork's guilt was the "plasticizer" found in his samples which suggested blood transfusion. (I don't know if one begets the other or if they'd have found both anyway)
Finally, Contadork's excuse was that he ate "tainted beef" twice during the TDF and he was certain that this tainted beef theory would acquit him. Well, not so much.
I'd like to try that stuff. No one's gonna suspect it at the local 5ks.
Bolt was the fastest teenager in history, the youngest junior world champion ever, and the fact that he's the fastest in the world now is no surprise to anyone. But similar things could be said about Lance Armstrong, Marion Jones, and Mark McGwire. Lance and Marion were identified as once-in-a-generation talents in their sports when they were very young. If they hadn't cheated, and no one else cheated either, they would likely still been champions. When Mark McGwire was a skinny newcomer in the league, people pointed out that he had a higher home run per at bat ratio than Babe Ruth and predicted he would beat Maris's record if he could ever stay healthy for a whole season. I might point out that Mark McGuire was never caught with anything but implicated himself with his ridiculous "I'm not here to talk about the past" testimony and later admitted it.
The defense that someone is so talented they don't need to cheat doesn't really work. And taking PEDs doesn't mean you don't need to train hard -- they all train hard -- it just helps you get more out of the training.
Well, they can always get back in the game 20 years later, like Ben Johnson recently did.
Powell surprised me more than Gay because the media built him up too much. Gay had no individual Olympic medals. Both guys are 30. I don't buy the I trusted someone argument either. Rafael Palmeiro once blamed a teammate.