Athletics’ world governing body (IAAF) wants to know what “significant assistance” Tyson Gay has provided to the American anti-doping authorities who handed him a shorter one-year ban, its vice-president Sebastian Coe said yesterday.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced a backdated one-year ban on Gay, the joint second fastest man of all-time, earlier this month for testing positive for a banned steroid in 2013.

The 31-year-old American could have been suspended for two years for his first doping offence but received a shorter punishment because of his “substantial assistance” in the investigation of his case, the USADA said.

“Well, first of all the IAAF has to look at this case,” Coe said.

“We would need to know what ‘significant assistance’ meant. And it is for our anti-doping teams at our headquarters in Monaco and the anti-doping board to decide if the sanction is appropriate.”

The USADA said Gay, who is eligible to race again from June 23, provided assistance “including being interviewed on several occasions by USADA and providing all of the products he was using at the time of his positive tests.”

Coe would prefer athletes informing before being caught and not just cooperating afterwards.

“We would rather the athletes were helping, assist the agencies before they were tested or proven positive. For me, that’s quite important,” he said.