Eight-time Olympic Champion, Usain Bolt, has declared that doping in Athletics must “stop or the sport will die”, as he prepares to drop the curtain on his golden career.
30-year-old Bolt, who will retire from the sport after the World Championships in London this month, expressed his hopes and fears for the future of Athletics.
Speaking to the BBC, Bolt said: “Hopefully athletes will see what’s going on and what they need to do to help the sport move forward,”
“Personally I think we were at rock bottom. After the scandal on Russia, I don’t think it gets any worse than that.”
— IAAF World Champs (@IAAFWorldChamps) August 2, 2017
Bolt, who won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m gold medals at Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016, will compete in the 100m and 4x100m at the London World Championships which commences on Friday.
He continued: “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 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. 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.”
Usain Bolt holds the 100m and 200m world record with the time of 9.58 seconds and 19.19 seconds respectively. Asked if he thinks his world records will be broken, he said:
“I hope they’re not. No athlete would ever wish for that – I want to brag to my kids when they’re in their 20s: ‘See, I’m still the best”
“There is no-one around now, in this era, who can do it. No. Maybe in a couple of years, 10 years, but my records are safe for now.” he concluded.
