Athletics-South Africa get belated world gold

The United States lost the gold because Tim Montgomery was involved in doping infringement.

South Africa's 4x100m relay team at the 2001 world championships have been belatedly awarded the gold medal after initial winners, the United States were disqualified, Athletics South Africa (ASA) said on Wednesday.

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South Africa's quartet of Morne Nagel, Corne du Plessis, Lee-Roy Newton and Mathew Quinn were surprise silver medallists in Edmonton, Canada behind the favoured Americans who were disqualified following Tim Montgomery's doping infringement.

The South Africa team was honoured with the gold medals at a function in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

Montgomery was stripped of his medal by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) last year having been handed a two-year ban when the Court of Arbitration for Sport accepted evidence that he had taken the designer steroid THG.

The former world record holder never failed a doping test while competing and denies taking performance-enhancing drugs.