Tyree Washington (pictured) ran on the United States team that beat Britain by 0.18 of a second to claim the gold in Athens 11 years ago.

 

But yesterday Antonio Pettigrew, who coaches Washington and was part of that squad, admitted during a court case in San Francisco that he was taking banned performance-enhancing drugs at the time.

 

Jerome Young, another member of that team that finished ahead of the British squad of Iwan Thomas, Jamie Baulch, Mark Richardson and Roger Black, is already serving a life-ban after testing positive twice for banned drugs.

 

He is also due to testify in the case against Trevor Graham, a Jamaican coach who faces up to 15 years in jail if he is found guilty of lying to FBI investigators about his involvement in providing banned drugs to athletes.

 

But Washington, who has never been implicated in taking banned drugs, still wants to work in Britain on the Olympics.

 

He told BBC London: "If I can just be a part I would really appreciate it.

 

"I know Sebastian Coe's part of the organisation.

 

"It would be great to meet him and sit down and talk to him about what I can do.

 

"I'm passionate about the sport.

 

"It doesn't matter if I was brought up in America or brought up in the UK.

 

"Track and field is track and field.

 

"If I can give back in any way I will."

 

Black, an official ambassador for London 2012 during its successful bid, believes that the Graham trial and the admission by Pettigrew shows that he was cheated during his career.

 

He said: "This won't affect my life.

 

"The past is the past.

 

"If the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) wanted to send me a gold medal now, they'd be welcome.

 

"But I won't pursue it.

 

"What I could never have is the moment of crossing the line as an Olympic or world champion.

 

"No one could ever give me that; they could give me the medal, but not the feeling.”

 

Pettigrew also beat Black into the silver medal position when he won the world 400m title at the 1991 World Championships, although he has not admitted to having been on drugs at that point in his career.