A raft of Olympic and world champions have lamented the “disappointing” doping scandal that has gripped track and field after top sprinters Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell failed tests.
The duo’s positive A samples were revealed last week, plunging the sport into crisis and turning the focus onto banned substances just three weeks away from the August 10 to 18 world championships in Moscow.
“It’s a shame you have to talk about it, comment on it, have an opinion on it because you can be quite close to these athletes at the same time,” said Australia’s world and Olympic 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson.
Seemingly too close for Gay and Powell’s respective teammates Carmelita Jeter and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the female sprinting duo feistily refusing to entertain questions on doping and eventually storming out of their joint press conference.
Pearson, however, praised the crackdown on doping and stressed that the bottom line for athletes was personal responsibility.
“It’s disappointing that these things happen, but it’s good that Wada or whatever doping agency is keeping on top of the athletes. We like to compete cleanly and fairly.”
World and Olympic triple jump gold medallist Christian Taylor, a teammate of Gay’s on the US team, added: “It’s unfortunate for the sport that we even have to discuss it.
“From a sports standpoint we don’t want it... But it’s good to have these organisations to stay on top of things.”