Jamaican track legend Usain Bolt quick to douse doping speculation

USAIN Bolt has launched a passionate defence of his record, as the positive doping tests of his main rivals threaten the future of athletics.

Usain Bolt

USAIN BOLT launched a passionate defence of his record as the spectre of doping hovered over the start of the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games in the London Olympic Stadium tonight.

The six-times gold medal-winner, who was most recently tested for drugs on Tuesday, insisted that he had shown a clean pair of heels to his rivals in every way.

At a press conference in London, the Jamaican responded to questions about the positive tests of Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay, his 100m rivals.

He admitted that he left it to his back-up team to tell him which substances were banned, but rejected any suspicion over his own achievements.

"I was planning to explain this," he said. "How long have people been following Usain Bolt? If you've been following me since 2002, you would know I've been doing phenomenal things since I was 15. I was the youngest person to win the world juniors. I ran the world youth record at 17.

"I've broken every record in every event I've ever done. I've proven myself since I was 15. I was always going to be great."

It was a remarkable monologue, but athletics can no longer duck drug questions after a string of scandals.

"I'm clean," Bolt said. "You learn to be responsible. It's going to set us back a bit, but I'm just trying to work hard and run fast and hopefully help people move on from what's happened."

It was the first time Bolt had spoken since news broke about Gay and Powell, two of the fastest three men in the world this year. Powell has blamed his test on supplements given to him by a new trainer, and Bolt revealed that he also relied wholly on those around him.

"You have to trust the people around you because they check everything you're taking to make sure it's not on the banned list," he said. "They read the fine print - I haven't."

Kim Collins, the veteran from St Kitts & Nevis, said he did not think Gay and Powell had harmed the sport.

"What they have done is no damage," he said. "People are going to get caught in the future and I don't think other sports test as much as track and field."

Collins, who will line up against Bolt in the 100m tonight, added: "Doping breaks the hearts of kids because they are the future. Now everybody's judged."

One to suffer the consequences of doping is Valerie Adams. The New Zealand shot putter finished second at the Olympics, but was upgraded to gold when Nadzeya Ostapchuk, of Belarus, was banned for doping. "I have no sympathy," she said.

Asked how she felt when she found out, Adams said: "Pissed off. I've not forgiven her and I never will. She's taken the moment away. As I was crying tears of disappointment, this thing was crying crocodile tears, embracing a moment that shouldn't have been hers."

James Dasaolu, the Croydon Harrier who clocked 9.91sec at the World Championship trials two weeks ago, takes on Bolt in the 100m tonight. He is faster than the world record-holder in 2013, but is realistic.

"I know it's going to be a tough race against the quickest man in history," he said. "I'm just going to give it my best."

As well as the 100m tonight, Perri Shakes-Drayton tests her world-title credentials in the 400m hurdles and Robbie Grabarz makes a last leap for form in the high jump before the World Championships in Moscow next month. Kirani James, the Olympic 400m champion, is also back.

The Times