Los Angeles, CA – They say, “The Lord giveth, and He taketh away”. Well the Lord gaveth Usain Bolt a total of 9 Olympic Gold medals, though on Wednesday it was the International Olympic Committee that tooketh away one of those gold medals!
Bolt and the Jamaican team have been stripped of their 4×100-meter relay Gold medal from the Beijing Games in 2008 due to one runner, Nesta Carter, testing positive for a banned substance. Carter initially tested negative after the race in 2008, but his sample was retested by the Olympic committee in 2016 and was found to contain methylhexaneamine (a prohibited substance). As a result of Carter’s positive drug test, Bolt must return one of his nine Olympic gold medals.
When one member of an Olympic team tests positive, it is standard for the entire team to be stripped of their medals. In Rio 2016, Bolt solidified his status as the all-time greatest by completing a ‘triple triple’, becoming the only man to win all three sprint events at three Olympic Games (totaling 9 Gold medals). Thanks to teammate Nesta Carter, Usain’s history-making ‘triple triple’ feat is no more.
With friends like Nesta, who needs enemies! We feel for you Usain, and even with them taking your gold medal to us you are still the Muhammad Ali of track and field – the greatest.
When one member of an Olympic team tests positive, it is standard for the entire team to be stripped of their medals. In Rio 2016, Bolt solidified his status as the all-time greatest by completing a ‘triple triple’, becoming the only man to win all three sprint events at three Olympic Games (totaling 9 Gold medals). Thanks to teammate Nesta Carter, Usain’s history-making ‘triple triple’ feat is no more.