Usain Bolt is on track for an unprecedented triple – gold medals in the 100 and 200-metre finals at three consecutive Olympics.
There have been many big names at Rio 2016, but Bolt has been the one to create the biggest stir.
His win in the 100 meters was effectively a procession. He was slow to get started, yet was able to ease up in the shadow of the line, beat his chest and break into a smile.
He had achieved what no other runner has done. He stands atop the tree, not just by dint of his hat-trick of golds, but also his world record.
It was six years ago on Tuesday that he scorched the track at Berlin in a mind-blowing 9.58 seconds.
The previous record of 9.63 was his as well, along with the one before that, 9.69.
With all such performances nowadays, however, there is the spectre of whether they have been achieved with chemical enhancement.
It is understandable that there may be a degree of scepticism over Bolt. The fastest 33 times in history have all been posted since June 2005. Bolt has achieved nine of them.
The remaining 24 have been set by fellow Jamaicans Asafa Powell (eight), Yohan Blake (four) and Nesta Carter (one), along with Americans Justin Gatlin (six) and Tyson Gay (five).
Four of those men have served suspensions for doping, while Carter is one of those to have recently failed a re-test of samples from Beijing, where he was a member of the 4×100-metre relay that was anchored by Bolt and raced to gold. Bolt could lose his gold medal as a result.
As was the case when Lance Armstrong was ruling the Tour de France, many asked how it was he could be so dominant when many who filled the podium below him were rubbed out for doping.
In the end, Armstrong himself was also exposed as a drug cheat The sporting world will hope Bolt does not follow suit.
However, if he does, just what would it mean?
Safe to say, at the time it would be a massive story. He would be decried, vilified and ostracised by many. But would it make a difference to his sport or sport in general?
History would say no.
We have seen it all before, and in the end the wrath is temporary and the impact beyond that is negligible.
Ben Johnson was the world record holder in the 100 metres and his outing was huge, but it did little to dampen enthusiasm in the ensuing years.
Neither did it when other world record holders like Powell and Tim Montgomery were shown to be cheats.
Marion Jones was the marquee name at Sydney 2000, winning five medals, three of them gold. The biggest female name in the sport. Her world came crashing down years later, but it did little to dent the following of the sport, despite her being forced to relinquish her Sydney medal haul.
The same can be said for Armstrong.
Many were caught up in the story of the cancer survivor, back from the brink, inspiring millions by his deeds on the bike and his Livestrong Foundation.
We later learned it was all built on a myth. Mind you, so were the ‘wins’ of Floyd Landis in 2006 and Alberto Contador in 2010.
As it turned out, nine of the 12 Tours de France between 1999-2010 were won by drug cheats and their titles removed from them.
And what impact has it had on the sport? Virtually none. Millions still line the roads of France each July, and many more watch le Tour, as we herald the performances of Cadel Evans and Chris Froome.
There has never been a shortage of corporations keen to get involved. They effectively purchase naming rights for the teams, despite the dire history of the sport with respect to drugs.
Some will say that we expect doping in cycling. We have learned also to accept it in a sport like athletics.
So, for all those who have proffered the theory that should Bolt one day be shown to be a doped athlete it will bring down the sport, think again.
As fans, we have become largely anaesthetised to the big names being proven cheats. Each time it happens the angst and ire is loud, but it soon subsides and normal transmission is restored.
TV networks continue to pay billions for rights, corporate sponsors still jump on board, and fans turn out in droves.
For all the posturing about drugs in sport, it has done little to quench the appetite when the stars are shown to have feet of clay.
And given all that sport and the fans have endured to date, it would appear nothing will ever turn us away.
Life will go on. Sport will go on. Regardless of what any of us say.
Huho
Guest
Yes it matters. He and many top world athletes are doping and getting very rich doing it
Reave Jones
Guest
There is a factual error in your article, Bolt lowered his own World Record from 9.69s set at Beijing in 2008 to 9.58s in Berlin in 2009. The World Record has never been 9.63s, he ran this time in London in 2012, this is the current Olympic Record.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Someone can be better. Bolt is 6'4 and ran 20.7 as a 16yo. He had unheard of talent as a youngster. It's believable.
delbeato
Roar Guru
Good pickup. The difference is that Sun Yang isn't competing against a bunch of fellow dopers. I suspect. I admit this is pretty subjective!
Colin N
Guest
"If you mean without pharmaceutical aid – I still think yes." How? Particularly when every other previous 100m world record has been set by a convicted doper. All of a sudden, a guy comes along and absolutely smashes that.
Colin N
Guest
Maybe cleaner but all the top guys are climbing mountains as quick as they were in the Armstrong days. That's not a good look. Then you add to the picture that former dopers are still working in the sport, the BS merchants that are Sky and the fact that the UCI's stance on doping hasn't been adequate, in my opinion. Can you imagine a Sky rider failing a test while Brian Cookson, former president of British Cycling, is in charge? Particularly when his son also works for the team. All these things, of course, doesn't mean they're doping and I sincerely hope they are not (being British, all this success has been wonderful) but I don't trust any governing body in any sport to take the right attitude when it comes to doping.
jed
Guest
Angel Heredia.
Colin N
Guest
Also, another question is how many top male 100-metre runners over the last 30 years have been clean? I can't think of many.
Colin N
Guest
"He has been tested heaps." Whether an athlete has been tested loads means very little. USADA have hardly shown themselves to be world leaders in the fight against doping as the Alberto Salazar case showed. And if these last few months have shown us anything, it's that some governing bodies are complicit in doping.
Mike Huber
Roar Pro
Jameswm Stanazol, nandrolone , winstrol , albuterol . Plenty of professional tennis players take these and one in particular has been caught twice doping but not reprimanded due to his God like status .
..
Guest
* YES * !! it matters. the reason is because there *are* athletes that are not using PED's, steroids, etc, & so we'll never know if they could be winning gold medals if they were competing against drug-free athletes. it's an unfair playing field. it's like if you went into the boxing ring with your fists & someone got into the ring with a gun & shot you! the guy with the gun is the "winner" but he was playing by different rules. not only is it unfair, but we'll never know what the game outcomes *would* have been if no one used drugs or PED'S.
delbeato
Roar Guru
As an avid cycling fan, I would argue that the Tour de France is cleaner now. No way is it totally clean. But the UCI, after many years of sweeping the dirt under the rug, has finally understood that the way forward is to actually try and stop doping. And they've made progress. Athletics, like many or most other sports, is definitely still in sweeping mode. The American pro sports don't even bother sweeping.
Adam
Guest
Of course it will be a huge blow. Bolt is popular because he is perceived as clean, relative to Gatlin who was booed everytime his name was called. Like Phelps, his star power derives not only from gold medals but the perception he is clean, but in a sport less tainted by doping. If these guys were exposed as cheats, it would have unfathomable consequences for swimming, athletics and the olympics, simply because the narrative of naturally gifted athletes rising above a field of cheats to become champions would be betrayed. Nobody trusts the field anymore, so instead we put our faith in individuals. If we cant put our faith individuals, what the point? As for Tour de France, there is now a perception that the tour is now clean due to past indescreitons, and that testing is rigorous and reliable. No idea if thats true or not, but thats the perception.
ozzieinChch
Guest
Wait a minute. A week ago we had a discussion about Mack Horton's treatment of Sun Yang with a lot of venom against him and the Chinese in general. But if it's Bolt (a very likeable Jamaican), it's OK? It's black and white when it comes to the Chinese, but when it comes to an athlete who is very popular eg Bolt or a doping Australian, we'll find some way to "justify" the doping
jameswm
Roar Guru
"whether an actual human can run 9.58, I’m not sure" I'm sure. It happened 7 years ago. If you mean without pharmaceutical aid - I still think yes.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Andy there have been heaps of allegations against Bolt, you must have had your head in the sand. 1. If all the other top people dope, how can he beat them all clean? 2. Most of the other top Jamaican sprinters tested positive 3. Some in Bolt's training group have tested positive 4. Bolt regularly visits this dubious German doctor called Hans something (know as healing Hans) 5. Jamaica has barely any out of competition testing, making it easier to dope. For these Olympics, there's a higher chance Gatlin is clean. He has been tested heaps.
jameswm
Roar Guru
It's because 100 is all about power, and you get power from CNS and strength training - and steroids help you recover faster, so you can do more of it.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Doping with what substances?
jameswm
Roar Guru
"Running doesn’t require skills like other sports do" You seriously think that, Blake? So runners don't need to work on their technique at all? What an incredibly naïve comment.
Ben
Guest
An entertaining read from former ESPN journalist Bill Simmons.... http://grantland.com/features/daring-ask-ped-question/