Yomi Omogbeja (18/07/2004)

Nigeria will be awarded the Olympic men’s 400m relay gold medal won by the USA in Sydney.

The International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) ruled this morning that American Jerome Young was ineligible to compete in Sydney and thus annulled all his past results.

The IAAF Council issued a statement after its extraordinary meeting in Grosseto, Italy, that it has interpreted its rules during the period of time in question (1998-1999) as follows:

“As a consequence of Jerome Young’s ineligibility to compete following his doping offence, all relevant results are annulled, including those achieved as part of a relay team during the period of ineligibility from 26 June 1999 to 25 June 2001.”

Based on this position, Nigeria, Jamaica and the Bahamas, the three teams who finished behind the Americans in Sydney were upgraded.

The gold medal thus goes to the second placed Nigerian quartet of Sunday Bada, Clement Chukwu, June Monye and Enefiok Udo-Obong.

Clean sport

Bada last week urged the IAAF to disqualify the American team in the event for harbouring a drug cheat in their team.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria that the sport governing body must ensure justice, in order to really show that they are serious about having a drug free sport.

“America has for long enjoyed super power status in athletics and by IAAF revisiting the issue, will mean justice to the rest of the world.

“Personally, I have always had doubts about the 'super human' performance of some of the American athletes. Over the years, their federation has covered some of the atrocities of the athletes,” he said.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has earlier ruled that the 400m-world champion, who tested positive to banned nandrolone in 1999 should have been banned for two years and should not have been included in the team to Sydney.

And he should also lose his gold medal because of the positive dope test.

Young has consistently protested his innocence and was exonerated by a USA Track and Field doping appeals board before the Olympics.

He did not run in the final, but was involved in the first round and semi-final.