US can appeal IOC stripping of medals

Speaking to Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) president, Brian Lewis, yesterday, he revealed that the IOC has finally responded to an email of enquiry which he sent to the governing body last week.

“What the IOC has said categorically to us is that the process is still ongoing,” remarked Lewis. “The US Olympic Committee athletes, having been notified, now have 21 days to respond. If they don’t object (to the decision), the IOC will now meet to consider, and they will take on board a number of factors including the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) reclassification recommendation.”

Lewis is unsure though when the US Olympic Committee was officially notified. International reports on May 13 revealed that the entire USA 4x100m relay team was stripped of their London 2012 Olympic silver medals as a consequence of a positive test of US sprinter Tyson Gay. The former 100m and 200m world champion Gay was suspended for a year after testing positive for a banned anabolic steroid. The 32-year-old returned his London 2012 medal when his suspension was announced in May 2014. Now the IOC later indicated to US Olympic authorities that the whole team (Trell Kimmons, Justin Gatlin, Ryan Bailey, Jeffery Demps, Darvis Patton) must return their medals.

Lewis added: “Whatever decision the IOC comes to, it is at that point that they will notify the National Olympic Committee concerned, which in this case is ours. At this particular point in time, no decision has been made with regards to the reclassification or the reallocation. With the IOC having confirmed that the process is still ongoing, the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee has to await the results of that particular process that is ongoing.”

If reports are confirmed by the IOC, TT’s bronze medal quartet of Keston Bledman, Richard Thompson, Emmanuel Callender and Marc Burns will be bumped up into silver medal position, while fourth placed France will be elevated to third. It would be a remarkable ending for the TT men who initially finished fourth in the final but fortune favoured them as Canada — who placed third — were disqualified for a lane violation.