TheCable

Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sportsman regarded as one of the best athletes in history, has been stripped of one of his record 24 medals.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced this on Wednesday, saying Jamaican Nesta Carter had been certified guilty of doping.

Carter was one of the Jamaican athletes who won gold in the 4x100m relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

He did not compete in Rio 2016, and has been fighting to clear his name. He tested positive for the banned substance Methlhexanamine.

All four members of the Jamaican relay team which participated in the Beijing game – which also included Michael Frater and Asafa Powell – have now been stripped of their medals.

Original 4x100m silver medallists Trinidad & Tobago are now likely to be upgraded to gold, with Japan boosted to silver and Brazil bronze.

Bolt, an 11-time world champion has never tested positive to any banned substance throughout his career.

Last summer, he described the Carter situation as heartbreaking, but said he would have no problem giving back a medal if the positive test was confirmed.

“It’s heartbreaking [the positive test] because over the years you’ve worked hard to accumulate gold medals and work hard to be a champion… but it’s just one of those things,” UK Telegraph quoted him as saying.

“Things happen in life, so when it’s confirmed or whatever, if I need to give back my gold medal I’d have to give it back, it’s not a problem for me.”