Usain Bolt's perfect record marred by teammate's doping
Lausanne, June 1: A decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport here has robbed retired Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt of his perfect record in the 4×100m relay.
The CAS on Thursday dismissed Bolt's teammate Nesta Carter's appeal against disqualification from the 2008 Beijing Olympics for a positive doping test leading Bolt to lose his ninth gold medal, the Sun reported.
In a statement released by the CAS panel for the discoveries made eight years later, the sport body said: "Could not accept any of the arguments raised by Carter contending that the test results should be ignored or the IOC (disciplinary) decision should otherwise be overturned for certain alleged failures".
Carter had run the opening leg in the 4×100-metre relay when Bolt took the baton third and helped Jamaica win in a world record of 37.10 seconds.
In fresh analysis of Beijing samples by the International Olympic Committee in 2016, Carter tested positive for the stimulant methylhexaneamine.
Jamaica was disqualified and stripped of the relay title. With Jamaica's disqualification confirmed again, the gold medals will go to the Trinidad and Tobago team of Keston Bledman, Marc Burns, Emmanuel Callender, Richard Thompson and Aaron Armstrong.
The IOC would also upgrade Japan to silver and Brazil to bronze, reported Chicago Tribune.
The verdict was expected, and it spoiled Bolt's perfect Olympic career of three gold medals in the 100, 200 and 4×100 at three consecutive games in 2008, 2012 and 2016, Washington Post reported.
The Jamaica team in Beijing also included Michael Frater and Asafa Powell.
Carter, now 32, was also on Bolt's team for three straight world championship relay gold medals, in 2011, 2013 and 2015. They also partnered when Jamaica set another 4×100 world record in 2012 at the London Olympics.
Dozens of athletes tested positive for banned drugs in an IOC-ordered reanalysis program using new and more accurate tests on samples stored since the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics.
Carter's case was the only one involving Jamaica.
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Rocket from Yemen strikes Tel Aviv, injuring 16, as Palestinians mourn 19 dead in Gaza
Tel Aviv, Dec 21: A rocket fired from Yemen hit an area of Tel Aviv overnight, leaving 16 people slightly injured by shattered glass, the Israeli military said Saturday, days after Israeli airstrikes hit Houthi rebels who have been launching missiles in solidarity with Palestinians.
A further 14 people sustained minor injuries as they rushed to shelters when air raid sirens sounded before the projectile hit just before 4 am Saturday, the military said.
The Houthi rebels issued a statement on the Telegram messaging app saying they had aimed a hypersonic ballistic missile at a military target, which they did not identify.
The attack comes less than two days after a series of Israeli airstrikes on Yemen's Houthi rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and port city of Hodeida killed at least nine people. The Israeli strikes were in response to a Houthi attack in which a long-range missile hit an Israeli school building. The Houthis also claimed a drone strike targeting an unspecified military target in central Israel on Thursday.
The Israeli military says the Iran-backed Houthis have launched more than 200 missiles and drones during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Houthis have also been attacking shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and say they won't stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
The Israeli strikes Thursday caused “considerable damage” to the Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports “that will lead to the immediate and significant reduction in port capacity,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The port at Hodeida has been key for food shipments into Yemen in its decade-long civil war.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said both sides' attacks risk further escalation in the region and undermine UN mediation efforts.
