Top Runners Test Positive For Banned Substances

Published July 15, 2013 at 12:40 PM EDT

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Tyson Gay of the United States, left, and Asafa Powell of Jamaica, right, during their 100 meter race at the 2009 Shanghai Golden Grand Prix, an international track and field event. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

Tyson Gay, a former Olympic champion, and Asafa Powell, a world record holder in the 100 meters, confirmed on Sunday they have tested positive for banned substances.

There were also reports that Powell was among five Olympic gold medalists from Jamaica who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs at that country’s national championships last month.

These revelations cast a shadow over next month’s world championships in Moscow.

Guest

Phil Hersh, writes about sports for the Chicago Tribune. His most recent piece is “Doping issues killing track and field again.” He tweets @olyphil.