The entire United States 4x100 men's relay team have been stripped of their London 2012 Olympic silver medals as a consequence of Tyson Gay's drugs ban.
American sprinter Tyson Gay. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Former 100 and 200 metre world champion Gay was suspended for a year after testing positive for a banned anabolic steroid.
The 32-year-old returned his London 2012 medal when his suspension was announced in May 2014.
Now the International Olympic Committee has told US Olympic bosses that the whole team must return their medals.
The IOC has written to the US Olympic Committee telling them to collect the medals from Trell Kimmons, Justin Gatlin, Ryan Bailey, Jeffery Demps and Darvis Patton.
A US Olympic Committee statement says they will begin efforts to have the medals returned, and support all measures to protect clean athletes.
Kimmons and Bailey ran with Gay in the final, as did Gatlin, who has served two doping bans, including a four-year suspension between 2006-2010.
Gay's results from 15 July 2012 - the date he first used a product containing a banned substance - were annulled.
His one-year suspension was backdated to 23 June 2013, the date he tested positive at the US World Championship trials.
The American team finished second in London's Olympic Stadium behind Jamaica, who were anchored by Usain Bolt on their way to a new world record.
Gay and his team-mates set a new US record with their time of 37.04 seconds.
If the medals are reallocated, Trinidad and Tobago - who finished third in 38.12 seconds - would be awarded silver.
Fourth-placed France would take the bronze instead.
