The global agency said the ban, which has been widely criticized
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 U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after
a 2013 positive test for an anabolic steroid.
The ban was backdated to June 23, 2013, making the U.S. 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 3, organizers said on Monday.
Normally athletes receive a two-year suspension for their first
major doping offense but under anti-doping rules the ban can be
reduced for substantial cooperation.
The U.S. agency said Gay was eligible for such a reduction because
the sprinter offered what it termed substantial assistance in his
case.
On Tuesday, WADA said it 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 to Reuters.
"WADA will therefore not appeal USDA'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 U.S. decision, declined comment,
saying the matter remains in the hands of its doping review board to
assess.
IAAF president Lamine Diack, however, told Reuters 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.
[to top of second column] |
"In the fight against doping we have to use this," Diack said in an
interview at the inaugural IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas. "If
someone gave really very good cooperation and give us the
possibility to do more to fight doping, we have to do something."
In addition to the ban, Gay has returned the silver medal he won as
a member of the U.S. 4x100 metres relay team at the 2012 London
Olympics.
His former coach Jon Drummond has filed a defamation lawsuit against
the sprinter, USADA and USADA chief Travis Tygart, claiming Drummond
was falsely accused of supplying Gay with performance-enhancing
drugs.
USADA called the lawsuit "baseless."
(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing by
Frank Pingue)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|