adminLONDON. — Usain Bolt has warned dopers they risk killing athletics and has urged them to clean up their act for the sake of the sport. But the Jamaican thinks things are gradually moving in the “right direction” after hitting rock bottom when the Russian federation were banned for systemic doping in November 2015. The 30-year-old sprinting legend has pleaded for clean sport ahead of his eagerly-awaited final individual 100m race at the World Athletics Championships in London this weekend.
Of the 30 best 100m times in history, 21 were achieved by athletes who have served drugs bans, while the other nine have all come from Bolt during a superlative nine-year career which has earned him eight Olympic gold medals and 11 world titles.
And Bolt, who holds the world records in the 100m and 200m, insisted dopers are endangering the future of athletics.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, he said: “Hopefully athletes will see what’s going on and understand that if they don’t stop what they’re doing the sport will die.
“Hopefully understand what the sport is going through and what they need to do as athletes to help the sport move forward.
“Personally I think it was there [rock bottom]. After the scandal on Russia I don’t think it gets any worse than that. It’s on its way back up now. No way but up you can go and forward.
“You can’t be happy about doping at all, it’s not good for the sport. But over the years we’re doing a better job, it’s getting clean and we’re catching up to a lot of athletes.
“There’s an understanding that, listen, if you cheat you will get caught. Over time the sport will get better.
“I said a couple of years ago it had to get really bad, when there’s nowhere else to go but up.
“The only way track and field has left to go is up. We’re going to go in the right direction and I’m happy about that situation.
“Doping is always a bad thing and it’s never pleasant because you put in the hard work and the sport starts going forward and then you have other guys bringing it back, it’s hard.
“It’s going in the right direction, so hopefully it will continue in that direction.”
Meanwhile, Bolt’s decision to call time on his glittering career will dominate the IAAF World Championships in London that starts tomorrow.
The Jamaican sprinter, an eight-time Olympic gold medallist with 11 world golds to his name and world record holder in the 100 and 200m, will race just the 100m and 4x100m relay in the British capital.
The 30-year-old will leave a huge gap for track and field to fill, Bolt’s startling on-track achievements having been accompanied by a charismatic yet humble personality that has never ceased to draw attention for all the right reasons. — Sky Sports.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter