Tyson Gay: ‘There’s a lot for me to tell’

Tyson Gay
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Tyson Gay made his first comments about his suspension Saturday, one day after he received a backdated one-year ban, and hopes to speak in more detail about it soon, perhaps in the next week, he told the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader.

“There’s a lot for me to tell, my side, and I would like to apologize to the city [Lexington] for not being able to speak earlier about the situation,” Gay said, according to the newspaper. “But under the rules of USADA [U.S. Anti-Doping Agency], they didn’t want me to speak on the case. But they definitely understand what happened, and USADA understands that it was a mistake. That’s why they’re allowing me to run this year.”

Gay, the American record holder in the 100m, tested positive three times last year for “an exogenous androgenic anabolic steroid and/or its metabolites,” USADA said, but since the tests were in short succession, they were treated as one failed offense.

The 31-year-old received a one-year ban when he could have been given a two-year ban. His suspension was reduced for “providing substantial assistance to USADA,” the agency said Friday. Still, all of his results since July 15, 2012, were disqualified, and he returned his silver medal from the 4x100m relay from the 2012 Olympics.

A spokesman for the IAAF, track and field’s international governing body, said the entire U.S. 4x100m relay team would be stripped of its silver medals in accordance with its rulebook.

Gay hasn’t competed since he revealed one of his failed drug tests last July. He is eligible to return to competition in late June and could enter the U.S. Championships that begin June 26 if he petitions in, and the petition is granted, according to The Associated Press.

Gay’s relay teammate speaks

2023 World Figure Skating Championships results

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2023 World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan, top 10 and notable results …

Women (Short Program)
1. Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) — 79.24
2. Lee Hae-In (KOR) — 73.62
3. Mai Mihara (JPN) — 73.46
4. Isabeau Levito (USA) — 73.03
5. Loena Hendrickx (BEL) — 71.94
6. Niina Petrokina (EST) — 68.00
7. Nicole Schott (GER) — 67.29
8. Bradie Tennell (USA) — 66.45
9. Ekaterina Kurakova (POL) — 65.69
10. Amber Glenn (USA) — 65.52

FIGURE SKATING WORLDS: Broadcast Schedule

Pairs (Short Program)
1. Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara (JPN) — 80.72
2. Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier (USA) — 74.64
3. Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii (ITA) — 73.24
4. Deanna Stellato-Dudek/Maxime Deschamps (CAN) — 72.81
5. Emily Chan/Spencer Howe (USA) — 70.23
6. Lia Pereira/Trennt Michaud (CAN) — 65.31
7. Alisa Efimova/Ruben Blommaert (GER) — 65.23
8. Maria Pavlova/Alexei Sviatchenko (HUN) — 64.43
9. Ellie Kam/Danny O’Shea (USA) — 63.40
10. Brooke McIntosh/Benjamin Mimar (CAN) — 63.33

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Kaori Sakamoto leads figure skating worlds; U.S. in medal mix in women’s, pairs’ events

Kaori Sakamoto
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Defending champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan topped the women’s short program at the world figure skating championships, while the U.S. has skaters in medal positions in the women’s and pairs’ events going into the free skates.

Sakamoto, trying to become the first Japanese skater to win back-to-back world titles, tallied 79.24 points, taking a significant 5.62-point lead over South Korean Lee Hae-In going into Friday’s free skate in Saitama, Japan. It’s the largest lead after a women’s short program at worlds since 2015.

U.S. champion Isabeau Levito is in fourth, one year after winning the world junior title. Levito, 16, can become the youngest world medalist since 2014.

Fellow Americans Bradie Tennell and Amber Glenn are eighth and 10th, respectively.

FIGURE SKATING WORLDS: Results | Broadcast Schedule

Earlier, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara won the pairs’ short program, distancing defending champions Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier of the U.S., who placed second despite Frazier’s fall on their side-by-side triple toe loops.

Miura and Kihara, the world’s top-ranked pair this season, can become the first Japanese pair to win a world title, a year after taking silver behind Knierim and Frazier.

Knierim and Frazier, who will likely retire after this season, are trying to become the first U.S. pair to win multiple world titles. They’re skating without their primary coaches, Jenni Meno and Todd Sand, who didn’t travel after Sand had a heart attack three weeks ago.

“Todd’s condition is very serious, so it’s difficult to train when you feel broken inside, when your person is not there,” Knierim said, according to the International Skating Union. “However, that person is the one who instilled fight in us, so we’re able to work hard every day to make him proud, and I think we did a good job of that today.”

In fourth place are Canadians Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps. Stellato-Dudek, the 2000 World junior silver medalist in singles, came out of a 15-year retirement in 2016 and can become, at 39, the oldest world championships medalist in recent memory.

Worlds continue Wednesday night (U.S. time) with the pairs’ free skate, followed Thursday morning with the men’s short program, live on Peacock and USA Network.

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