Olympics: Martina loses 200m silver as US protest upheld

Thursday 21 August 2008

BEIJING - Churandy Martina of the Dutch Antilles has been stripped of his Olympic 200m silver medal after the US team's protest that he had run out of his lane was upheld.

The move deprives the Dutch Antilles of their first-ever Olympic track and field medal, and sees 2004 Olympic champion Shawn Crawford of the United States take silver behind Jamaican Usain Bolt, who won the race in a world record of 19.30 seconds.

Crawford's team-mate Walter Dix, a bronze medallist in the men's 100m also won by Bolt, will now take bronze.

The US team had initially protested the disqualification of third American runner Wallace Spearmon, who had finished in bronze-medal position behind Bolt and Martina.

But they ultimately accepted the decision that Spearmon had in fact crossed lanes.