Up until now, it wasn’t quite clear what was the banned substance that Tyson Gay tested positive for, but according to the BBC, steroids was what Gay used in order to win in the US trials back in June, taking him out of the World Championships.
According to the letter from USADA to Gay, the sample had an adverse analytical finding reflecting values that are consistent with the administration of a steroid of exogenous [external] nature.
Gay ran a 9.76 and 9.75 in the 100 meters (semifinal and final) during the US trials for the World Championships. He also ran a 19.74 in the Final, which was the world’s best result of the season at that point.
But then his drug tests from the competition came in. And then it was revealed that he also tested positive on an out-of-competition test in May. Gay pulled out of the World’s, and is now facing the chance of being suspended for two years (Gay is 31). The rules will soon change and make such an offense worthy of a four-year suspension, but Gay will get the lighter sentence.
As for the athlete himself, a three-time gold medalist in the World Championships? Gay didn’t say the tests were botched, but he clamied innocence, instead blaming someone in his entourage, claiming he was let down by someone close to him, and that’s that.