Usain Bolt admitted that he’s not happy to have been stripped of a gold medal following a teammate’s positive test for a banned substance.
Bolt told Andre Lowe of the Jamaica Gleaner that he was disappointed to lose the medal, which he won as part of Jamaica’s relay team at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, but would consider helping with an appeal.
“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 said. “I’m not happy about it but it’s just one of those things that happen in life but I can’t allow that to deter me from my focus this season, so I am focused but I am not pleased about the situation.”
Bolt doesn’t think the loss of the medal will have an impact on his overall legacy.
“I think I’ve still accomplished a lot, this hasn’t changed what I have done throughout my career,” Bolt said. “I have worked hard and pushed and done things that no one have done before. I have won three gold medals over the 100m and 200m, which no one has ever done before.
As for an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which could cost as much as $13 million, Bolt didn’t rule out assisting in that effort.
“That’s up to my management. There are a lot of variables so we will discuss that and see where we go from there, but if it’s necessary (I will help),” Bolt said.
Nesta Carter, Bolt’s teammate on the 2008 relay team, was retroactively punished for testing positive for a banned substance. That means Bolt’s career gold medal total drops from nine to eight.
H/T NBC Sports
