Bolt victim of collateral hit in 2008 Beijing

Stained was Bolt’s world-record clocking in all three sprints in Beijing’s Bird’s Nest but then, it was no fault of his as he was found clean of dope unlike Carter. Carter, 31, who was not in Rio, faces a ban from the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF).

The fault of one is the fault of all. That applies most especially in cases involving conspiracy. Even if you have no direct participation in an evil act, you could be implicated by just being at the scene of the crime.

In rare cases, though, you might be acquitted in a conspiracy theory, depending on the court's appreciation of your defense. Sports isn't exempt. On Thursday, Usain Bolt fell victim to it. No, he had no direct hand to the crime. But he was—without him knowing it—part of the team that committed the crime: Doping in the Olympics. And that happened almost 10 years ago. Nesta Carter was found positive for methylhexaneamine, a banned stimulant, in the re-analysis of samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In world sports, they do retesting time and time again in a bid to ferret out dope-users. That's how strict our officials have become. And who is Carter again in Bolt's life? He was Bolt's teammate when Jamaica won the 4x100-meter relay in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in a world record time of 37.10 seconds.

Carter ran the opening leg, with Bolt taking the baton third in a team that also included Michael Fraser and Asafa Powell. “The Jamaican team is disqualified,” the International Olympic Committee said in a statement.

The penalty cost Bolt one of his nine Olympic gold medals even as the relay win in Beijing completed Usain's gold-medal sweeps in the 100, 200 and relay at three successive Olympics from 2008, 2012 in London and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

Stained was Bolt's world-record clocking in all three sprints in Beijing's Bird's Nest but then, it was no fault of his as he was found clean of dope unlike Carter.

Carter, 31, who was not in Rio, faces a ban from the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF).

Carter's case brought to mind Lance Armstrong's fall from grace when the American cyclist's seven straight Tour de France titles were recalled due to doping scandals.

Like Carter, Armstrong's guilt was also discovered many years after achieving glory—fake as it was.

Indeed, nobody gets away with crime. Too bad that Bolt, the world's fastest man for three consecutive Olympiads, was a victim of collateral damage.