Usain Bolt is the fastest man alive. The Jamaican impressed as he broke the 100m and 200m sprint world records this week in Beijing. But many people are not convinced.
A crowd of 91,000 people rose to their feet at the Birds Nest as the “lightning bolt” broke Michael Johnson’s 1996 record 19.32s time in the 200m sprint.
Johnson himself predicted Bolt would break his twelve-year-record, but some American media reports fail to recognise Bolt’s record-breaking performance.
“Records break, but suspicions of doping linger,” reads the title of an article in the New York Times.
Another American-based blogging website, Steroid Nation, questions the 22-year-old’s impressive performance.
“You must be joking … the majority of these guys running under 10 seconds for the 100 are juiced, if not all of them. Jamaica is not different from America, actually it might even be worse.”
However, the same view was not expressed by all the bloggers.
“It’s quite sad that when a non-American athlete wins, they have to be on steroids. Before you cast doubt, research Bolts times from his early teens, then make an educated comment,” one blogger said.
A number of world champions and former record holders have been found guilty of doping, including Ben Johnson and Marion Jones.
That’s not to say that records can’t be broken.
We may never know the real truth, but I wonder why Michael Phelps, with his eight gold, doesn’t attract the same scrutiny as Bolt has?
What ever happened to the saying “innocent until proven guilty?”
Bolt’s times by age
15 years old: 200m in 20.61
16 years old: 200m in 20.40
16 years old: 400m in 45.35
18 years old: 200m in 19.93
20 years old: 200m in 19.86
21 years old: 200m in 19.75Source: Steroid Nation
matta
Guest
ok ok...but its fair to say that they are all on it... not question. for clear reasons I cant give details but I have a family member who was long time member of a national team... we are talking olympic level here... anyway, I got to know most of the team and there is noooooooooo question they were ALL on it...NO QUESTION! NONE! NADA! NILL... No, these people were freakishly good at their sport - just amazing - and they were on the gear and most of them still couldnt win so you tell me? did they have bad stuff or was everyone else on it too? Keep your heads in ths sand if you want lads but I know where my money is...
Jerry
Guest
On what planet has Micheal Phelps not attracted accusations of doping? Any time any athlete makes any kind of quantum leap from the previous records as Phelps and Bolt have done, there'll be some people who conclude they're on the juice. It's natural really, so often in the past have the elite of the elite been shown to be assisted - especially in sprinting (think Johnson, Jones & Griffith-Joiner - though Flo-Jo never tested positive, Jones has shown that means nothing).
Hoy
Guest
The Americans lost to the Jamaicans this Olympics in the sprints. In the past the Americans have been dominant in these events, however I wonder... A few of the past American champs have been done for doping between olympics. Has this brought the field back as the current Americans steer clear of that? Or are Jamaicans on the juice now? The investigation of the drug comapny that the Americans seemed to be involved with has coincided with a drop in American wins. Coincidence? Lets face it, Jamaica has always been close, but no cigar. This olympics they seem to have hit the nail on the head and got it right. I hope they haven't been aided by anything other than hard work. There is always the doubts though.
Jameswm
Guest
I don't reckon Bolt is on the juice. The Americans who got busted looked like they were on it - they had the braces of HGH-changing jawlines and the stretch marks at the top of the pecs from the setroid-induced fast growing chest muscles. Apart from thos obvious physical factors, they had that hugely muscled physique that looked like it had been helped. Bolt is different in many ways: 1. he is quite slim - tall - gangly even. Yes he has muscles, but not huge ones 2. he has had a solid progression of times for several years 3. he has sort of burst on the scene this year, because he's been injured for 2 years. I have often seen it in aths and swimming, where someone is training on and off but getting injured for comps for a couple of years, then gets to put a solid 6-12 months of quality training together and BAM. Eamon Sullivan is another perfect example of this and is a similar age. Unlike those stocky Americans, you have to give Bolt the benefit of the doubt.