London: Five years after the Sydney Games, American Mich-ael Johnson was told by a court in Switzerland on Thu-rsday that he could keep the last of his five Olympic golds.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld an appeal by US athletics officials to end a lengthy battle over the golds won by Johnson’s squad in the 4x400 relay in 2000.

The IAAF had recommended to the International Olym-pic Committee (IOC) th-at the American squad be stripped of their medals because of a doping violation by squad member Jerome Young in 1999.

Thursday’s decision mea-ns Johnson and four other members keep their gold medals from the event but the court recommended that You-ng should lose his.

The IAAF said it was extremely disappointed with the decision that it regretted but would accept as final and binding.

In Thursday’s ruling, the court said IAAF rules in force at the time of the Sydney Games did not allow for a whole team to be disqualified because of the actions of one of its members.

“In conclusion, the (cou-rt’s) panel decided that on the basis of the IAAF rules applicable at the time of the Sydney Games, the results of the men’s 4x400m relay event at the Sydney Games should not be amended and that only Jer-ome Young in the US Team should be stripped of his gold medal,” it said.

Lausanne-based CAS had ruled in 2004 that Young should not have been allowed to run in Sydney because of the 1999 positive test for the anabolic steroid nandrolone, which carried a two-year ban at the time. (REUTERS)