Usain Bolt has revealed that teammate Nesta Carter personally apologised to him after a failed drug test cost the Jamaican sprint team one of their Olympic gold medals.
Bolt, often hailed as the fastest man alive, remains the owner of eight Olympic titles and world records in both the 100m and 200m. At one point, however, his tally stood at nine after victories across the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Games placed him alongside legends Paavo Nurmi and Carl Lewis for the most athletics golds in Olympic history.
That changed in 2017 when the International Olympic Committee annulled Jamaica’s 2008 4x100m relay win following Carter’s positive test for a banned substance. The relay squad Bolt, Carter, Michael Frater, and Asafa Powell had set a then-world record of 37.10 seconds, but the entire team lost their medals as a result of the ruling.
Despite the disappointment, Bolt insists he harbours no resentment toward Carter. Speaking to The Times, he recalled: “Nesta Carter came to me and apologised. It was disappointing, but everybody makes mistakes. I’ve moved on.”
At the time of the decision, Bolt also emphasised that his individual accomplishments remained intact, noting that while the loss of a medal was frustrating, it did not diminish his career. “I’ve done all I wanted in the sport. I’ve impacted athletics and achieved a lot, so I can’t complain,” he said.
Indeed, Bolt’s reputation remains untarnished. He still owns all six of his individual Olympic sprint titles, along with the 100m and 200m world records 9.58 and 19.19 seconds respectively, both set at the 2009 World Championships. He also holds the Olympic records in both events, further cementing his place as one of the greatest athletes in history.
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