Gay looks to set pace on ice at bobsled championships

[September 21, 2016]    (Reuters) - Former world 100 meters champion Tyson Gay has traded the track for ice this week after he entered to compete in the U.S. Bobsled National Push Championships in Calgary.

File photograph of Tyson Gay from the U.S. reacting after the men's 100m final during the 15th IAAF World Championships at the National Stadium in Beijing, China August 23, 2015. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

The 34-year-old will make his initial bid for a national team spot despite only pushing a sled for a "handful of days", according to the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.

Gay was suspended from athletics for a year after testing positive for a banned substance in 2013, and was stripped of his 4x100 meters relay silver medal from the London Games.

The 2007 triple world champion was part of the 4x100 relay team that was disqualified in the final at this year's Rio Games.

Fellow sprinter Ryan Bailey, who was part of the London relay team, is also amongst the entrants in the Sept. 21-24 event, which is mandatory for anyone wanting to try and make the national team at next month's trials in Lake Placid.

(Reporting by Nivedita Shankar in Bengaluru)

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