Cox stripped of Athens 400m relay gold

American Crystal Cox, who won 4x400m relay gold at the Athens Olympics, was stripped of her medal on Saturday, the International Olympic Committee said.

Cox, the Athens relay alternate, was banned for four years in 2010 for using performance-enhancing drugs. The US Anti-Doping Agency had said Cox had used prohibited anabolic agents between 2001 and 2004.

The IOC's Executive Board, however, did not make any decision on the other relay runners in the team, saying it was up to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to decide if all the runners on the US team would be stripped of their medals.

The other members of the US 4x400 team from 2004 are Monique Henderson, Monique Hennagan, Sanya Richards and Deedee Trotter.

Photograph: Ian Walton / Getty Images