Athletics faces another scandal as sprinters Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay fail doping tests

Tyson Gay (R) and Asafa Powell

Former world champion and American sprinter Tyson Gay added salt to his wounds by failing a dope test as a result of which he had to pull out of the forthcoming Moscow World Championships next month.

After clocking three of the fastest 100 metre timings this year, it is going to be a real shame to not see him compete in the 100 and 200 meters events, where athletes of Usain Bolt’s calibre will also be taking part.

The withdrawal of Gay from this Friday’s Diamond League meeting in Monaco as well as from the World Championships will be recorded as one of track and field’s worst day in history.

To further dampen the spirits of athletics fans, former 100 metres record holder Asafa Powell and Olympic 4×100 metres relay silver medallist Sherone Simpson also tested positive for oxilophrine, a banned substance, at last month’s Jamaican championships.

Powell, 30, however denied consumption of any banned drugs or supplements intentionally. He was quoted as saying, “I am not now, nor have I ever been, a cheat.”

Simpson, 28, who snatched the gold medal in the 4×100 metres relay at the 2004 Athens Olympics Games and came in 2nd place in the 100 metres at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, also rubbished the reports.

Simpson said, “This is a very difficult time for me. As an athlete, I know I am responsible for whatever that goes into my body. I would not intentionally take an illegal substance of any form into my system.”

Previously, sources surrounding the Jamaican Athletics Association claimed five athletes, including two Olympic medallists, had tested positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs at the championships.

Sensing trouble, the managers of current world champion Usain Bolt and 100 metres champion Yohan Blake were quick to react to the reports by claiming that both the Jamaican athletes were not involved as Blake could not compete at the championships due to an injury while Bolt won the 100 metres hands down.

The beautiful island of Jamaica was again thrown in bad light when two-time Olympic 200 meters gold medallist Veronica Campbell-Brown was suspended after testing positive for a banned diuretic.

Source: First Post