Usain Bolt Loses Medal After Nesta Carter Doping Scandal

Despite his myriad of accomplishments at the last two Olympics, this may be one of the scandals he's remembered for. Usain Bolt will have to hand back one of his nine Olympic gold medals after his team-mate Nesta Carter tested positive for a banned substance. Nesta was part of the 4 man relay team that won the 4x100m in Beijing in 2008. At 31 years old, he's an exceptionally accomplished athlete who won gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay in 2008 and 2012. He was also part of the team that won the 4x100m event in London in 2012, and helped Jamaica win at the World Championships in 2011, 2013 and 2015. Carter was responsible for running the first leg for Jamaica's relay team in Beijing, which included Michael Frater, Asafa Powell and Bolt.

Carter was tested on the evening of the Beijing final in 2008 but that A Sample was found at the time to contain no "adverse analytical finding". Carter and the Jamaican National Olympic Committee were told of the adverse finding in May - before the Rio Games - and told his B sample would be tested. So he was aware this retest was coming. More than 4,500 tests were carried out at the 2008 Games, with nine athletes caught cheating. However, he was one of 454 selected doping samples retested by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last year using the latest scientific analysis methods, and anomaly was found; his B sample contained the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine. Methylhexanamine has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) prohibited list since 2004. Although it was sold as a nasal decongestant in the United States until 1983, methylhexanamine has been used more recently as an ingredient in dietary supplements.

In the official document that the IOC panel wrote about the incident, it's stated: 

"On 11 October 2016, the Athlete’s counsel sent the IOC a witness statement of the Athlete. The Athlete underlined that at that time, he was using the supplements indicated on the DCF, i.e. Cell Tech and Nitro Tech to help with recovery after training and build up muscle mass. He explained that he was advised in this respect by his coach, Mr Stephen Francis. 55. The Athlete further stated that he was not aware of the substance methylhexaneamine.

The Athlete remembered that at some point in his career, he was given some information on doping from the Jamaican national anti-doping organisation but he asserted that he did not remember having received any formal anti-doping training in his career.

Regarding the supplements, i.e. Cell Tech and Nitro Tech, the Athlete explained that he had given several samples for doping controls whilst he was taking Cell Tech and Nitro Tech before the 2008 Olympic Games and he had never tested positive for a prohibited substance. He therefore did not believe that these supplements could contain prohibited substances. He did not understand how methylhexaneamine could have been found in 2016."

Though methylhexaneamine was not specifically named on the 2008 list of prohibited substances, it "fell within the scope of the general prohibition of stimulants having a similar chemical structure or similar biological effect as the listed stimulants," the three-member IOC panel wrote. MuscleTech is being attacked for this, which shouldn't be the case, because neither product contains the banned substance, and never has.

Carter can appeal the sanction to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. However, the IOC panel already anticipated one challenge in its written verdict. "The Court of Arbitration for Sport ("CAS") has confirmed that the presence or use of substances falling within the scope of generic definitions of the prohibited list, can be used as a basis of establishing anti-doping rules violations," the verdict said. Methylhexaneamine was reclassified in 2011 as a "specified substance", meaning one that is more susceptible to a "credible, non-doping explanation".

Speaking in June, Bolt said the prospect of having to return the gold was "heartbreaking". He told the Jamaica Gleaner: "For years you've worked hard to accumulate gold medals and you work hard to be a champion, but it's one of those things. "I'm more concerned about the athlete and I hope he gets through it."  The team won in a then-world record of 37.10 seconds, ahead of Trinidad and Tobago and Japan, who could have their medals upgraded, with Brazil also moving up, and receiving bronze.