media_artricles :: 2017

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Jamaican sprinter Nesta Carter has launched an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the ruling that saw his country's 4x100 metres relay team, including Usain Bolt, stripped of their Beijing 2008 Olympic gold medals.

Carter was disqualified from the race last month after he failed a drugs test for banned energy-boosting substance methylhexaneamine, following re-analysis of frozen samples.

The team, which included Carter, Michael Frater, Asafa Powell and Bolt, have all now returned their medals to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Bolt consequently no longer holds a "treble-treble" of 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay victories from the Beijing, London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics. Carter, who ran the first leg in Beijing, had vowed to appeal the decision to CAS and had until yesterday to do so.

A date for Carter to appear before CAS is yet to be confirmed, his lawyer Stuart Stimpson told Reuters after confirming the appeal had been submitted. "Yes, they were sent electronically today and the hard copies will get there tomorrow, so they have been filed," Stimpson told Reuters.

"We've paid our fees and we met our time line."

It was claimed last month that the entire Jamaican team were considering an appeal, although Bolt was non-committal about whether he would consider contributing financially.

Carter also formed part of the gold medal winning team in London, but it is thought that retests of his sample from there have come back negative.

Bolt has admitted his "disappointment" at having to return his medal but accepted that "rules are rules".

"It's rough that I have to give back one of my medals and I already gave it back because it was of course required by the IOC," Bolt told Reuters in January.

According to Reuters, a letter from Olivier Gers, chief executive of the worldwide governing body, to JAAA President Warren Blake read: "Having consulted the IAAF Medical and Anti-Doping Department, it appears that Mr. Carter is not currently provisionally suspended. He is eligible to compete in athletics competition pending the CAS proceedings."

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