Justin Gatlin says he has forgiven Tyson Gay despite the US men's team being stripped of the Olympic 4x100m relay silver medal they won at London 2012 after Gay was banned for doping.

The International Olympic Committee notified the US Olympic Committee by letter earlier this week that the 4x100m relay team had been disqualified and all the medals withdrawn after Gay tested positive for steroids at the US championships in 2013. The 32-year-old was handed a reduced suspension – rather than a two-year ban – because he cooperated with the US Anti-Doping Agency's investigation that led to an eight-year ban for his former coach, Jon Drummond, while his results were annulled going back to 15 July 2012.

But Gatlin, who himself has been banned on two separate occasions after being caught doping has insisted he has accepted the decision.

“The rules are the rules … and if the committee says we have to return it, I’m going to follow the rules. I honestly don’t mind giving it back if it wasn’t won fairly,” he told TMZ Sports. “He has apologised for his actions and asked for public forgiveness. So now it’s time to move on from that.”

Gatlin is in Doha for the first Diamond League meeting of the season on Friday and having run the fastest 100m in the world last year, the American is confident he can help the US team win relay gold at next year’s Olympics

He said: “I know we have another chance coming up in Rio – and we just started off the season beating the Jamaicans at the world championships.”

(Guardian service)