T&T athletes get Olympic gold 14 years later

Trinidad and Tobago men’s 4×100-meter 2008 Beijing Olympic team received their gold medals — 14 years later.

The Trindad and Tobago quartet of Emmanuel Earl Callender, Richard Thompson, Marcus Burns, Keston Blackburn and Aron Armstrong finished second in the Aug. 22, 2008 race.

Silver, however, turned into gold following Jamaica’s disqualification as a result of Nesta Carter’s doping violation.

Blackman, Burns, Callender and Thompson as well as Aaron Armstrong, who ran the qualifying round finally received their gold medals at last week’s Reallocation Ceremony at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach presented the five sprinters with their gold each. Each man also got a bouquet of flowers. T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC) President, Dianne Henderson performing the presentation.

The T&T quartet clocked 38.06 seconds in the Olympic Games men’s 4 x100 meters final.

Improved technology in drug testing resulted in a retrospective for Carter in 210, the IOC stripped Carter, Michael Frater, Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell of gold.