Here’s why Trinidad and Tobago’s relay men’s team got gold medals in track 14 years later
The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing were memorable for ushering in new stars.
Michael Phelps set a record by winning eight gold medals in swimming events, while Usain Bolt began his dominance in track and field with golds in the 100 and 200 meters.
Bolt also won gold in the 400-meter relay for Jamaica. Well, that’s what originally happened.
Trinidad and Tobago’s relay team from that event was awarded gold medals 14 years after the race concluded, Trinidad and Tobago Newsday reported.
Why?
Because Jamaica’s Nesta Carter disqualified his team after his test sample came up positive for a banned substance, methylhexaneamine, in 2017. The International Olympic Committee stripped Jamaica of its gold medals for Carter’s doping violation.
Trinidad and Tobago’s relay team members that originally won silver of Richard Thompson, Marc Burns, Keston Bledman, Emmanuel Callender and reserve Aaron Armstrong received their gold medals Tuesday in Switzerland.
Carter originally tested negative following the race in 2008 and lost an appeal in 2018 for the Jamaican team to not be stripped of their golds. Michael Frater and Asafa Powell joined Bolt in losing a gold medal through the disqualification. It also meant Japan’s team was upgraded to silver status and Brazil’s team getting bronze.
And Bolt’s historic threepeat of triple golds — 100 meter, 200 meter and 400 relay — from the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics is no more.
