Nitro Series: Bolt and Asafa Powell won’t condemn Nesta Carter

Sprint superstars Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell have refused to condemn Jamaican teammate Nesta Carter.

Usain Bolt trains at Albert Park athletics track in Melbourne yesterday. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Sprint superstars Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell have refused to condemn Jamaican teammate Nesta Carter, whose failed doping test has resulted in them all being stripped of their 4x100m relay gold medals from the 2008 Olympics.

Carter has vowed to appeal after reanalysis of his sample from 2008 using more advanced scientific methods returned a positive test to the prohibited stimulant methylhexaneamine.

The finding and subsequent ban, which were announced last week, meant that Bolt’s unprecedented treble-treble of Olympic sprint titles was trimmed to eight gold medals.

“Initially (I was) disappointed, of course,” Bolt told reporters at Melbourne Airport yesterday.

“But in life, things happen. I’m not sad, I’m waiting to see if Nesta is going to appeal or whatever. So right now I’m just waiting to see what’s going to happen. But I gave up my medal.”

Bolt, Powell and Michael Frater, the fourth member of the 2008 Jamaican 4x100m team which crossed the line first at the Beijing Olympics, are all in Melbourne to compete in the Nitro series.

Former 100m world record holder Powell also served a doping ban in 2014 after testing positive to the stimulant oxilofrine, although his sanction was reduced from 18 months to six following a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Powell said he and his countrymen continued to support Carter as a teammate. “We went out there as a team and we did what we had to do,” he said yesterday.

“It’s very unfortunate and we have to look to the future. We’ve accomplished a lot and we just need to be positive about everything right now. I’m in no position to say what should and should not be (banned).”

Meanwhile, middle-distance star Ryan Gregson reckons the revolutionary Nitro series will present a rare and valuable chance for his Australian teammates to showcase themselves to a wider audience. Gregson and Genevieve LaCaze, the glamour couple of Australian track and field, were announced yesterday as co-captains of the home team.

Coach Nic Bideau will make most of the selection decisions, with some input from long jump star Fabrice Lapierre, who has been appointed team manager after expressing a wish for a leadership role.

That will leave Rio Olympics finalists Gregson and LaCaze to keep spirits high in the teams event where much of the focus will inevitably be on Usain Bolt and his stacked All Stars squad.

“It will be about us telling the guys that it’s a great opportunity to show your character, show people who you are,” said Gregson, the Australian 1500m record holder.

“Mainly they just see us when we’re training hard or when we’ve just competed after a race at an Olympic Games.”

LaCaze singled out the elimination mile — where the last runner will be removed after each of the first three laps — as the most fascinating event on the Nitro program.

“I can’t fathom how that’s going to play out,” said the 27-year-old, who set a slew of personal bests last year and contested the 3000m steeplechase and 5000m finals at the Rio Games.

“Ryan made a good point in that when you line up the six best 1500m men in the world it would just be like cat and mouse with them all looking at each other and then in the last 100 they all start sprinting.

But on Saturday night it will be interesting because there are so many different levels of ability in the field. Some might know they’re not the best sprinter and go out hard and set the pace.”

AAP