New 100M world record: Usain Bolt sprints into controversy

Might is be possible that a sprinter delivers two of the fastest three 100M times in his only 5 100M races, running clean?  Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt faces that controversy following his world record time over the weekend, prompting papers like the New York Times to raise the issue.  Bolt ran an incredible 9.72 100M in New York, lowering the world record previously held by Asafa Powell.  (Link to Bolt's WRs 100/200 at the Olympics; get some Kryptonite)

When Usain Bolt of Jamaica set a world record of 9.72 seconds at 100 meters Saturday night, two questions became urgent:

Was the supporting tailwind legal?

Was Bolt himself legal?

Track and field has become so compromised by doping that any startling performance brings immediate suspicion. Even before the race at the Reebok Grand Prix meet on Randalls Island, Bolt and his top challenger, the 2007 world champion Tyson Gay, faced inevitable questions from reporters about performance-enhancing drugs. The pre-race inquiries have become as routine as the postrace drug screens.

Who to trust?  Some of the biggest marquee names in track and field now call prison home.  Almost every star of the past 25 years faces questions about his/her legitimacy.  Is this Bolt from the blue legitimate?

Bolt has denied taking performance-enhancing drugs and has not failed a drug test. Yet, his coach acknowledges, it will be impossible for Bolt to avoid skepticism given the sport’s clouded history. A number of Olympic champions, world champions and record holders have been stripped of their sprint medals, records and reputations, including Ben Johnson, Marion Jones, Justin Gatlin, Tim Montgomery and Kelli White. And now Maurice Greene, too, has come under increased scrutiny, though he faces no formal charges.

“We know questions are inevitable given the revelations in the sport,” said Glen Mills, who coaches Bolt. “But that doesn’t trouble us for two reasons. One, there is a thing called conscience. Two, Usain doesn’t even want to take vitamin C. We know he is as clean as a whistle.”

Interesting that Ben Johnson cast serous doubt on modern track records -- except his of course (Daily Mail)

The irony is not lost on Johnson that Bolt came out of nowhere in the week he blew the lid off the extent of the steroids culture in athletics.

The exclusive interview Big Ben granted me in his adopted Canada sent seismic shockwaves through the Olympic movement just weeks before the Beijing Games, claiming that virtually all the top athletes use drugs...

Ben Johnson: 'Whatever anyone says about me and steroids, I would never have done that, never have risked the damage that could do to your body.'...

There are echoes of Johnson's claim in these pages on Saturday that the Americans set him up in Seoul, lacing his drink with a near-lethal dose of one steroid he never used because they knew he would beat their own Carl Lewis to gold.

Few realists - never mind the cynics - will doubt that Johnson is justified in denouncing 'virtually all the top runners' as drugs cheats. Athletics, tainted as it is by those suspicions, will pray that its new 100m world record holder is as innocent as he seems.

Modern athletic records appear so tainted, that any lowering of world track marks (or raising of home run record totals) will raise eyebrows that someone is beating the dope testers.  And so it goes (evidence that Bolt is a clean prodigious talent after the jump...)

The 6-foot-5 Bolt, 21, who was aided by an allowable tailwind, is undeniably a prodigious talent. As a 15-year-old, he won the world junior championship at 200 meters. He later became the first junior sprinter to break 20 seconds for the 200. He holds the Jamaican record of 19.75 seconds and finished second to Gay in the 200 at the 2007 world championships.

Wariness about Bolt stems from the fact that he has run the 100 only five times professionally, yet he has posted two of the three fastest performances ever.

If Bolt is clean — and at this point there is no evidence that he is not — he already finds himself a victim of the most corrosive aspect of pervasive doping: the innocent can no longer prove their innocence.

Comments

[DR. McLean]

I saw Usain for the first time at a High School Boys' Championship. He thrilled the crowd with his run. This guy ate up the track. The runner before him was so far away that I did not believe that he could even catch him. But it was all over when Bolt received the baton. I remember saying at that time that he will be in the Olympics soon. I have often wondered why his coach had not given him the opportunity to double before.

As a matter of fact, I think that now we will see Asafa at his very best. All Asafa's fears of Gay will be gone and he will be more relaxed trying to erase Bolt's record at the Olympics.

The mental pressures that the American exuded on Jamaican athletes like Merlene Ottey and Asafa is now history. The spring factory of this world has come alive, not only for the men but also for the women. Keep you eyes on Veronica and Sherone.

[Keith Noel]

Bolt from the blue? Which blue? When Spearmon won the 400m at the world Junior championships, this lanky 15 year old set the record in the 200. At that World Juniors, it was he Nd Carolyna Kluft who set the place ablaze [strange, why is no one challenging her records?]At the Jamaican High School championships he devastated the field in the 400 and ran a blistering leg in the 4x100. He was the talk of the town. Everyone knew that there was no one in his age range who could beat him in any of the sprints.
But he was immature. Ebullient, funloving and a bit lazy to train. This is why he refused to do the 400. It was too demanding on stamina, etc. [lucky Wariner]. The immature boy has now matured and really started training. He has something to prove to his coach. And the world! Any one who saw him at 15, knows that this lad, now that he has filed out, does not need anything to enhance his performance. He is a world-beater. He was born with it.

[Lalu]

I saw Usain Bolt on TV in slow motion filmed from a camera facing directly into the group of runners with whom he broke the world record. I am looking for a HQ version of this video online. I would like to study his technique, as he is doing something exra during his propulsion phase of his stride, and in doing so, deconstructing the commonly held beliefs about the speed limitations for athletes over 6 feet tall. Consider even the track coaches who may have discouraged Usain Bolt from running the 100m, while encouraging him to work on the 200m - what beliefs did they possibly have? Please post a link to the frontal slo-mo HQ video only, there are many other low-res views online already.

[Reality]

Sherone Simpson's drugs dont work anymore. She was taking drugs back in 2006 (her hot year).

Perhaps what the world has to remember is that Jamaicans have a talent to run. It is evident from our formative years that running was imbued on us as a genetic imprint (perhaps God drugs our mothers womb, but who can contest Him?). Our performances at our Boys and Girls Championships as well as Prep/Primary or Infant and extending to the world at all junior levels have left the world amazed. We did not just came out of the blues and started running fast - it has been a progression of which the world is cognizant. It is understandable why 'some' would be pondering the present scenario that faces them (fear and envy can have a crippling effect)but what God has given let no man begrudge.

Usain Bolt broke the world junior record at age 16 and as my colleague, Mr. Keith Noel rightly puts it "he was immature" or else these performances that we now see as being spectacular might have been ordinary.

But fret not yourselves, my friends - he is going forth to conquer and the nation and its supporters are praying with him. Sherone Simpson was injured as that which happens to all sprinters but she is back and you talking about her hot year - Mr Reality - you aint seen hot yet!!

[demsay]

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 19.75

Steriods? No way. This "kid" is for real coming from the same part of Jamaica as Powell, V. Campbell and the bronze queen.

[Yes]

You must joking...The majority of these guys running under 10 secs for the 100 are juiced, if not all of them. Jamaica is not different from the USA. Actually, it might even be worse.

[Steve]

In reality the real world record holder is most likely to be Carl Lewis. I used to be in competitive athletics training with clean Christian Malcolm and they`re all on it if they go faster than 9.9secs..shame really.

[chris]

Carl Lewis clean!!. Oh to be so stupid

[chris]

Carl Lewis clean!!. Oh to be so stupid

[Damz]

I know for sure that Jamaica are def a talented nation with talent from God, but to say steroids is jus envy unless they are tested positive u cant say anytin bout steroids

[Carbonfiber]

my mate won a silver in the pole vault in 84. his view was EVERY sprinter was on something.

[Carbonfiber]

Jamaicans take sprinting seriously and WORK hard. it is highly highly competitive from a young age. Likewise why does Sweden have men's triple jump, wom. hurdles, men's high jump and pentath. champs? they take track/field seriously and work.

check out Colin Jackson on BBC TV series The Making of Me

What factors turn an athlete into a world champion? Genetics? Natural talent? Hard work? Luck?

Surprising show.

[Perri]

I would like to extend congratulations to Usain Bolt on breaking, sorry, smashing the world record in the Olympic 100 m final. I am a Caribbean national who is unfortunately still waiting on my nbc feed to show me what the world already knows... that Usain Bolt is the fastest man of all time. That being said let me add my comments about possible doping. 1) A few years ago, Jamaica started giving their athletes scholarships to start training at home; 2) These athletes therefore do NOT train in the US; 3) Jamaica does NOT have the kind of technology to produce in Jamaica the kind of undetectable steriods that people like Maurice Greene have been accused of using; and finally 4) those drugs aren't cheap... if you think that there is money to be able to afford them over a prolonged period of time for even one athlete in Jamaica you might want to have another thought coming.I KNEW that when someone outside of the US won this race, the doping questions would arise. But you know what? Tough... today he won, and time will tell whether his medal or his record will stand. I think that it will.

[yo yo yo]

My view for the moment; the boy Bolt is juiced to the max!! Plain and simple. How can one man leave the rest of the worlds 100m elite sprinters that far behind in an Olympic final? Its never happened before in a modern Olympic, save for Johnson in Seoul and we know how that story ended. Bolt has passed the drugs tests...for now. With the discipline's shady history, I would love to believe Bolt is a clean and true champion, marking the beginning of a new era for the 100m. But I for one, will be reserving judgment till the guy reaches the twilight years of his career. If he remains clean in the years to come, he will undoubtedly deserve his place as one of the greatest athletes of all time. Until then - am skeptical.

[Golf Boy]

Its quite sad that when a none American athelete wins, they have to be on steroids. Before you cast doubt, research Bolts times from his early teens, then make an educated comment.

Carl Lewis clean... please

[Ben Johnson]

RE:Before you cast doubt, research Bolts times from his early teens, then make an educated comment.

A: You don't get tested when you are a teen
B: Anyone who runs faster then Ben Johnson's sauced up 9.79 is either half horse or has used steriods period.

Not to take away from Usain's amazing run of 9.69 but he's cocky and conceited for a reason... The guy had celebrated with his hands up with 20m to go. Strikingly similar to the way Ben Johnson raised his arm up well before the finish in the Seoul Olympics. Can anyone take steriods and run that fast? NO. Don't get me wrong Usain Bolt has incredible talents in sprinting. There's just no way to make so much improvement without using steriods. They made undetectable designer steriods, they have the whizzinator to fake clean urine tests.. They will keep making them to avoid detection and why??? The millions in money from sponsorships alone for winning the gold medal... what would you do to win?

Median Salary by Job - Age: 18-25 (Jamaica)
Software Engineer/ Developer/ Programmer $13,973
Administrative Assistant $5,606
Office Clerk $7,119

[Daimion]

all u people saying bolt is on steroids u r either pissed off American (cause u'll dont dominate anymore since they caught u'll with the clear) r some1 makein an uneducated comment cause its d first they r hearin about mr bolt.....people google is around 4 a reason google mr bolt and u will find out about what he has been doin n track his progress....people d jamaican's have been tested the most at the olympics mr bolt was tested 6 times b4 d he ran a 100m race and he was tested after every race.....sooo....

[A Henson]

These athletes know the system. They know when to juice and when to lay low. Bolt is a phenom. He was fast as a kid. But, his performance tonight was very suspect. Only the blatant or unsophisticated get caught - like Landis (11X the normal amount of testosterone). I hope he's clean for the sake of the 100m.

[Mix]

Hey, it has nothing to do with American or not. Hell, our American sprinters are the case study for juiced up / drugged runners. The facts are these: the kid destroyed the World Record in a sport that is the most doped in the world, he destroyed the field (that was probably also juiced) and he stopped running with 20m to go...

It defies any logic or reason you want to place on it. The guy must be juiced. And in a Floyd Landis type smackdown, I think it will be coming soon...

[Donavan Bailey]

Ben Johnson didn't test positive until the olympics. A test only works if they know what they are looking for... i.e. Marion Jones and the designer steriods THG... undetectable until a coach handed in the syringe containing the drug! I'm Canadian... this has nothing to do with nationality... I'm still proud of the fact Ben Johnson is one of the fastest cdn/jamaican sprinters ever juice or no juice. You don't just fall out of bed take steriods and run sub tens.

Johnson made headlines when he ran a 9.79 but his urine test had traces of Stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. Johnson was disqualified and later admitted he was using steroids when he set other records. His coach, Charlie Francis, said Johnson had been using the performance enhancing drug since 1981. It was essentially the end of the Jamaican-born runner.

Undetected steriod use for seven years until the '88 Seoul Olympics... and this was twenty years ago. I'm sure performance enhancing steriods and steriod masking agents have advanced in twenty years to once again become undetectable to Olympic level testing. Usain's run merely points out that athletes can, and always will, maintain a few paces ahead of drug-testing efforts.

I want to believe Usain Bolt's 9.69 is legit, history tells me otherwise. In all the time's posted of Usain Bolt's 200m from 18 to 21 in 3 years he has improved .30 seconds. In a shorter distance 100m in less than 5 races he has improved .30 sec which is impossible if you know anything about sprinting... thanks for the info that proves Usain has more steriods in him then Ben Johnson and an entire Kentucky Derby horse race combined.

[Bolt's Chemist]

In the history of the 100m dash not even 1 second has been shaven off of the world record 10.6 sec set in 1912, almost 100 years. Usain Bolt shaved off half a .5 second in 5 races... maybe it would have been more but he got caught up in celebration before his race even finished. Fact is in the history of the 100m dash nobody has run sub 10 seconds until the steriod era.

[Josh]

We have to remember not all drugs used within a certain time frame prior to the event will be found however the benefit of those drugs will remain.

[Teddy Atlas]

Americans are only telling you how it is from their own perspective. We've gotten excited over great performances from other Americans who turned out to be doping often enough to know just how prevelant it is. You're being naive if you think you have a chance to put up these times without doping. All of these guys are already super fast. Do you really think that a clean runner will be able to beat another runner who can run under 10 seconds clean but then adds the benefits of steroids or HGH? You'd have to be an alien to be so good as to be faster than other elite spinters who are using this stuff without using it yourself.

[kui]

the only way to please these observers is to undergo 50 drug tests until none of his blood is left then when he loses you say thats the real one