Jamaican sprinter Nesta Carter failed a drug test in recent retesting of 2008 Olympic samples, according to multiple reports citing unnamed sources, which could ultimately impact Usain Bolt‘s Olympic medal tally.
The Jamaica Gleaner and Reuters reported Friday morning that Carter’s A sample came back positive for the banned stimulant Methylhexanamine. B sample results have yet to come in. Punishments are not determined unless B sample results confirm A sample findings.
Requests for comment from the Jamaica Olympic Association and Carter’s agent have not been returned. A high-ranking Jamaican track and field federation official said he was not aware of any official documents pertaining to Carter and would not confirm or deny the reports.
Methylhexanamine has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list since 2004 and was reclassified as a “specified substance” in 2011. Specified substances have a greater chance of warranting a credible non-doping explanation, according to WADA.
Carter would be one of 31 athletes from 12 nations across six sports whose recent retests of 2008 Olympic drug-test samples came back positive.
Carter was the leadoff runner for Jamaica in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic 4x100m relays, both won in world-record time. Bolt also ran on those relays, accounting for two of his six Olympic titles.
The entire Jamaican relay team could be stripped of medals if one member is disqualified, as has happened with U.S. relay teams at past Olympics. Only the International Olympic Committee has the power to strip medals.
Carter was also on Jamaican 4x100m relay teams at the 2011, 2013 and 2015 World Championships, helping Bolt to three of his 11 World titles.
Carter’s best individual accolades were 2013 World Championships bronze in the 100m and a personal-best 9.78 seconds in the 100m on Aug. 29, 2010, making him the sixth-fastest man all time.
Carter, 30, last raced Sept. 13, according to Tilastopaja.org.
