Insisting that he is running clean, Usain Bolt on Thursday said the recent spate of doping scandals to hit athletics will damage the sport but won’t affect his own preparations for the upcoming world championships.
The world’s fastest man, though, stopped short of condemning fellow Jamaican sprinters Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson or American rival Tyson Gay, whose failed doping tests have left the sport in turmoil ahead of the worlds in Moscow next month.
“Definitely it’s going to set us back a little bit,” Bolt said in London ahead of a Diamond League meet his first competition in the city since his three gold medals at last year’s Olympics.
“But as a person I can’t focus on this.
“I still have world championships, everyone is stepping up their game so I have to really focus on that. ... I am just trying to work hard, run fast and hopefully help people to forget what has happened, and just move on.”
In his first public comments since news of the high-profile doping cases broke, Bolt promised that he won’t be the next sprint star to be embroiled in a scandal.
“I was made to inspire people and to run, and I was given the gift and that’s what I do,” the six-time Olympic champion said. “I am confident in myself and my team, the people I work with. And I
know I am clean.
“So I’m just going to continue running, using my talent and just trying to improve the sport.”
If the recent cases have cast doubt about Bolt’s own integrity, the 100m and 200m world record-holder asked any skeptics to just check his record.
“If you were following me since 2002 you would know that I have been doing phenomenal things since I was 15,” the 26-year-old Bolt said. “I was the youngest person to win the world juniors at 15. I ran the world junior (200) record 19.93 at 18 ... I have broken every record there is to break...
“For me, I have proven myself since I was 15. ... I have shown throughout the years since I was always going to be great.”