US sprinter Tyson Gay tests positive for doping

Deutsche Welle, 14 July 2013

American 100-meter record holder Tyson Gay has tested positive for a banned substance. The 30-year-old said he would pull out of next month's world championships in Moscow.

Gay did not reveal the substance in question on Sunday as he admitted to having failed a doping test. The sprinter said he had been informed by the US anti-doping agency on Friday that a sample taken from an out-of competition test on May 16 had come back positive.

His "B" sample is yet to be tested.

Several news agencies reported the 2007 world champion was tearful as he spoke of the failed test in a telephone conference from his training base in Amsterdam.

"I don't have a sabotage story... I basically put my trust in someone and was let down," Gay said.

"I made a mistake," said the 30-year-old, adding that he knew "exactly what went on" but was unable to go into details at this stage. He insisted, however, that he had never knowingly taken a performance-enhancing drug.

He said he would not take part in the world championships due to take place in August.

In US trials for the world championships in June, Gay clocked this year's fastest 100 meters time with 9.75 seconds - the 10th fastest 100m of all time.

His personal best was in 2009 when he clocked a time of 9.69 seconds, making him the joint-second fastest man ever behind Jamaican legend Usain Bolt and equal with Yohan Blake.

He won gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay in the world championships in Osaka, Japan in 2007 and took home a 4x100m silver medal at the London Olympics last year.

ccp/jm (AFP, AP, Reuters)

Asafa Powell reacts after competing in the men's 100m

 semi-finals on August 5, 2012 in London (AFP/File,

Olivier Morin)

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