|
Nike raised eyebrows when it entered into a sponsorship
contract with Gatlin, the former Olympic and world 100 meters
gold medalist who has twice served doping suspensions, including
one four-year ban.
There had been reports that Gay, Gatlin's U.S. team mate who was
recently reinstated following a drugs ban, was also about to
join the Nike sponsorship stable but a spokesperson for the
sportswear giant told Reuters that was wide of the mark.
"We have recently signed a contract with Justin," Charlie
Brooks, Nike's vice president communications for North America,
told Reuters in an email.
"Earlier in his career, Justin served the ban that was imposed
on him and has been competing again for almost five years.
"We have no plans to sign a contract with Tyson Gay."
Gay, the 2007 world champion at 100 and 200m, returned to
sprinting last July after serving the one-year suspension for a
banned anabolic steroid.
He forfeited a silver medal he won with the U.S. 4x100 relay
team at the 2012 London Olympics and had his results from July
2012 wiped out. He received a reduced suspension after admitting
his offense and co-operating with investigators.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
