Pettigrew giving back gold medal

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Less than two weeks after admitting he used performance-enhancing drugs while testifying in the trial of coach Trevor Graham, Pettigrew relinquished the gold medal he won as part of the United States' victorious 4x400-metre relay team in 2000.

Pettigrew's former teammate Michael Johnson told the Daily Telegraph on Monday that he was giving back his gold medal from the relay - calling it "tainted" following Pettigrew's admission of guilt in the testimony against Graham on May 22.

Pettigrew also accepted a two-year ban, effective immediately, from the United States Anti-Doping Agency for admitting to the use of banned substances.

The 40-year-old acknowledged using the prohibited substance erythropoietin, known as "EPO," and human growth hormone ("HGH"), beginning on or about January 1997 through 2003.

"It takes courage to accept full responsibility for such conduct, and hopefully Mr. Pettigrew's case will serve as another powerful reminder to young athletes of the importance of competing clean," USADA chief executive officer Travis T Tygart said.

All of Pettigrew's competitive results since January 1997 will be disqualified and he also forfeited any medals, points, prizes and results accumulated during that span.

In addition, Pettigrew will give up his gold medals won as a member of the US 4x400-relay team at the World Championships in 1997 and 1999.

Johnson, who won the 200 and 400 metres at the Olympic in Atlanta in 1996, setting world marks which still stand, told the Daily Telegraph on Monday that Pettigrew's admission of cheating made it impossible to keep his gold from Sydney.

"It doesn't belong to me, so I will be returning it to the IOC because I don't want it," Johnson wrote in the newspaper. "It was not won fairly. I am deeply disappointed and saddened."