Usain Bolt, Second Fastest Ever

Is he a doper too? I know it’s unfair but that’s the first thing that came to mind when I read this:

Usain Bolt was on fire at Saturday night’s Jamaica International Invitation, posting a sizzling 9.76sec, the second fastest 100m time ever.

Following the doping scandals involving Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery, Antonio Pettigrew, and the endless lists of athletics cheats, it is tragic that youngsters are left with no models to look up to these days. It is also tragic that honest athletes are cheated of their victory. But maybe the greater tragedy resulting from the recent drug scandals is that the record-setting achievements of guys like Usain Bolt are met with questions like, “Is he a doper too?” It is unfair, yes. But that’s what it is. For his sake, and our sake, and the sake of athletics, I surely hope he’s not.

By the way are you, like me, wondering what Michael Johnson, our crystal ball gazer, will say of Usain? What will he say now that Jamaica has a one-two punch who could outrun his bet, American sprinter Tyson Gay? Michael, maybe you should bring out your crystal ball again, eh?

PHOTO SOURCE: IAAF