Wada won’t appeal Tyson Gay ban leniency

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will not appeal banned American sprinter Tyson Gay’s controversial one-year doping ban, they said yesterday.

The global agency said the ban, which has been widely criticised in Europe as too lenient, was "compatible with the World Anti-Doping Code."

Gay, the world’s joint second fastest man, last month had accepted the one-year suspension by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after a 2013 positive test for an anabolic steroid.

The ban was backdated to June 23rd, 2013, making the US 100 metres record holder eligible to return to running later this month.

His first race will be a 100 metres at Lausanne's Diamond League meeting on July 3rd, organisers said on Monday.

Normally athletes receive a two-year suspension for their first major doping offence but under anti-doping rules the ban can be reduced for substantial cooperation.

Eligible

The US agency said Gay was eligible for such a reduction because the sprinter offered what it termed substantial assistance in his case. Yesterday, WADA said they were was satisfied with the decision.

"After careful review and scrutiny of the full case file, WADA is satisfied that Mr Tyson Gay provided substantial assistance to USADA in an appropriate fashion," the global agency said in a statement.

“WADA will therefore not appeal USADA’s decision which is compatible with the World Anti-Doping Code.”

Officials of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which also can appeal the US decision, declined to comment, saying the matter remains in the hands of its doping review board to assess.

IAAF president Lamine Diack, however, said last month he supported the World Anti-Doping Code rule that allows athletes to receive reduced sentences if they provide substantial assistance to anti-doping agencies.

“In the fight against doping we have to use this,” Diack said.