The U.S. Olympic Committee said Wednesday that it would "begin efforts to have the medals returned" from its men's 4x100-meter relay team that finished second at the 2012 London Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee decided to strip the entire team following the doping conviction of squad member Tyson Gay. Gay was banned from competition last year after testing positive for an anabolic steroid. He had earlier returned his medal and had accepted a one-year doping suspension and the loss of results going back to July 2012.
Until Wednesday, it was uncertain what would happen to his relay teammates' awards. Four runners competed in the race, while two other team members ran in a preliminary heat.
The sprinters who now must return their medals are finalists Trell Kimmons, Justin Gatlin and Ryan Bailey and preliminary heat runners Jeff Demps and Darvis Patton.
A statement issued by USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said the committee supported "all measures to protect clean athletes."
International rules stipulate that an entire team can be disqualified and stripped of medals because of doping by one member.
Jamaica, led by star Usain Bolt, won the 4x100 relay gold medal in London. If the other medals are reallocated, Trinidad and Tobago would move up to silver from bronze and fourth-place France would receive the bronze.
