Teen Runner Sues Gatorade Over Lost Olympics Spot

Teenage sprinter Issam Asinga will not be competing at the upcoming Paris Olympics, and he has just sued Gatorade as a result. The 19-year-old—described by the Washington Post as the "fastest high school sprinter in history"—tested positive last summer for a banned substance known as GW1516. However, Asinga blames Gatorade, which gave him a gift basket that included "recovery gummies" labeled as certified for the sport. Asinga alleges they were tainted in the manufacturing process with the illegal substance, a claim that Gatorade denies, per Reuters.

In May, the governing body of world track and field rejected Asinga's argument and banned him for four years, per Yahoo Sports. They also stripped him of his titles, including his stunning world record in July 23 in the under-20 competition at 100 meters. Asinga, who set his high school records in Florida and now attends Texas A&M, had planned to run in the Olympics for Suriname, his father's home country. He is seeking compensation for millions in "lost economic opportunities," per the lawsuit. "You're either guilty or you're not," Asinga tells the Post. "I know I'm not, so I've got to chase my dream." (More sports doping stories.)