Posted: August 12, 2008

Athletics: IAAF Annuls Men’s 4X400M World Record

From Bob Ramsak
© 2008 TRACK PROFILE Report, all rights reserved

BEIJING – Track & field’s international governing body annulled the men’s 4x400m world record following Antonio Pettigrew’s recent admission of doping. Pettigrew, along with Jerome Young, Tyree Washington and Michael Johnson clocked 2:54.20 at the 1998 Goodwill Games, breaking the previous mark by 0.09 seconds. The record will now revert to 2:54.29 set by another U.S. squad --Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Harry Reynolds and Johnson-- at the 1993 World championships in Stuttgart. “The IAAF will continue to fight doping with total determination,” IAAF President Lamine Diack said. “We are sending a clear message that we will not tolerate doping in athletics.” Pettigrew admitted in May to using human growth hormone (HGH) and EPO from 1997 to 2993. His admission led the International Olympic Committee to last week strip the US of the 2000 Olympic gold medal, where Pettigrew ran the second leg. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest