The Court of Arbitration for Sport has begun its deliberations to decide if the US 4x400m relay team should lose their 2000 Olympic gold medals.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/4533963.stm The squad included Jerome Young, who has since been banned for life after failing two drugs tests. The International Association of Athletics Federations ruled Young's positive test meant the six-man squad should all be stripped of their golds. But the US Olympic Committee wants the IAAF's decision overturned by CAS. Olympic 200m and 400m legend Michael Johnson stands to lose his fifth and final Olympic gold won in the relay. Antonio Pettigrew, Angelo Taylor, twins Calvin and Alvin Harrison, who have both since been suspended for drugs violations, also face losing their medals. Young tested positive for nandrolone in 1999 but competed at the Sydney Games as the US authorities chose to take no action against him. The 28-year-old ran in the opening rounds and the semi-final but was not among the quartet that ran the final. Young failed a test for EPO in July last year and was then handed a lifetime ban. However, when news of his first failure emerged the IAAF ruled all his performances over two years from the time of the positive test in 1999 - including his Olympic relay contributions - be declared null and void. CAS began its discussions in Lausanne on Tuesday but could not predict when a final decision would be made. ENDS
