I Am Clean - Usain Bolt

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Usain Bolt says the recent doping scandals in sprinting have set the sport back but insisted he is not a cheat.Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson are among a number of athletes to fail recent tests ahead of the world championships next month.

Bolt admitted "it's going to set us back a bit," adding that he hopes to "help people forget what has happened" with his own performances but stressed: "I am clean."

The Jamaican said he has had one text-message exchange with compatriot Powell since the former 100-meter world record-holder tested positive for the stimulant oxilofrone. Bolt told him "to stay strong."

Bolt said: "There are a lot of details yet to be discussed so I'm just sitting and waiting to see the results and what's what. There are a lot of things that haven't been done and haven't been said so I'm just waiting to see what is going on."

However, the 26-year-old 100m and 200m world record holder admitted athletes have to be very careful with everything they eat or drink. "In life you learn anything is possible," Bolt said. "You have to be very careful as an athlete because right now there are a lot of things on the banned list. You have to keep up to date all of the time. It's hard but that's why you have a team to help you out with this kind of thing."

Bolt was speaking in London where he competes on Friday for the first time since his three gold medals at the Olympics a year ago.

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Positive Powell Wants Fast Track Return

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Former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell says he wants to return to the track as soon as possible after his failed drug test.

The 30-year-old tested positive for banned stimulant oxilofrine at the Jamaican Championships in June.

When the news emerged, he said he had never "knowingly or wilfully taken any supplements that break any rules" and has reiterated that stance.

"This has been the most difficult week of my athletic career," said Powell.

"The supplements I took formed part of a very strict and rigid training regimen," he added in a statement.

Powell and American sprinter Tyson Gay's failed drug tests were made public 10 days ago and both are now awaiting the results of their B samples.

Powell said checks done by his team "told us the supplements were fit for consumption by professional athletes".

"I have retained legal counsel and as such I cannot now discuss all the details of the case," he added.

"I will say, however, that I have requested that my B sample be tested and I await the results.

"Should this sample return adverse results, my team and I hope that the hearings will happen as fast as possible so as to allow me to return to my team, to once again represent my country, and to make my family, friends, and fans proud."

Powell was the last man to hold the individual 100m record before compatriot Usain Bolt broke it in 2008.

He later helped Jamaica win 4x100m relay gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Sherone Simpson, a 4x100m relay silver medallist at last year's London Olympics, failed a drug test at the same event as Powell.

Discus thrower Allison Randall confirmed she had returned a positive test at last month's trials on 15 July, the same day police in Italy raided the hotel rooms of Powell and Simpson and took away unspecified drugs for analysis.

Jamaican world 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown tested positive for a banned diuretic in May, the same month Gay provided his positive sample in an out-of-competition test.

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Coe Wants Longer Drug Bans

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London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe wants the ban for failing a drugs test to be increased from two to four years.

The double Olympic champion's claim comes after sprinters Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell provided positive samples.

"We have to go back from two years to four years. The move down to two did a lot of damage to my sport," Lord Coe told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek.

"It is for the clean athletes. I don't care about the cheats we weed out. These people are trashing my sport."

While the 1500m gold medallist from Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984 does not believe trust in the sport has completely evaporated, Lord Coe is concerned people are losing faith in athletics.

"It is depressing. Trust sits at the heart of this," said Lord Coe, who is also vice-president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

"I don't think trust is gone entirely, but it was a bad day for the sport. The big challenge here is to go on fighting, this is not a fight we can afford to lose.

"It is about trust. If fans can't trust the athletes and go there knowing what they are watching is questionable, then we will descend to American wrestling where most of the crowd know it is fake and, worryingly, don't care."

Lord Coe believes that athletes are currently taking risks by cheating as the two-year ban does not take enough time out of their career to be a deterrent.

But the London 2012 organiser and current British Olympic Association chairman knows that lifetime bans are not possible.

The BOA, before Coe was elected chairman, had a policy of banning any British athletes from competing in Olympic Games for life if they had previously failed a drugs test.

However, in April 2012 the governing body lost its battle with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) to keep the policy.

It allowed athletes such as Dwain Chambers, who failed a drugs test in 2003, to compete at London 2012.

"If I could bring lifetime bans in I would," said Lord Coe.

"The legal inhibitor to be able to do that is profound. We are not going to be able to have life bans, they would be challenged and when we have done it we have lost.

"Four years does make people think, it is a big chunk of your career but two years with appeals is often only 18 months. Too many athletes have been prepared to take the risk."

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Gay Pips Gatlin in Paris Diamond League

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Tyson Gay recovered from a poor start to pip fellow American Justin Gatlin and win the Diamond League 100m in Paris in 9.99 seconds.

Gay, beaten by Gatlin at the recent US Olympic trials, came through powerfully ahead of Gatlin, who clocked 10.03, and Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre in 10.08.

Welshman Dai Greene showed he is back to form in the 400m hurdles as he set a new personal best of 47.84 seconds.

Greene was second behind Javier Culson, who won in a world-leading 47.78.

But world champion Greene, who had a slow start to the season after winter surgery, almost chased down the Puerto Rican in the final few metres to deliver a strong statement of intent four weeks before the heats get under way in London on Friday, 3 August.

Christine Ohuruogu also showed encouraging signs of form a month before she prepares to defend her Olympic 400m title.

The Londoner, 28, has only broken 50 seconds twice - in winning the 2007 World Championships and Olympics gold four years ago.

She never threatened the winner, Amantle Montsho of Botswana in 49.77, but set a season's best of 50.59 secs to finish fourth.

Lisa Dobriskey found the searing pace too hot to handle in the women's 1500m as Moroccan Mariem Alaoui Selsouli outsprinted Turkey's Asli Cakir Alptekin to clock the fastest time in the world this year - 3:56:15 - as she broke the four-minute barrier for the first time.

Dobriskey was eighth in 4:02, but improved her season's best by 10 seconds.

Shara Proctor, who broke the British long jump record in the recent Olympic trials, finished second with a jump of 6.65m in Paris, in a competition won by Russian Yelena Sokolova in 6.70m.

Tiffany Porter enjoyed a good run to finish third in the 100m hurdles in 12.74secs as Australian Sally Pearson won in a new world-leading time this year of 12.40, ahead of American Virginia Crawford in 12.59.

Steve Lewis finished fourth in the pole vault with 5.52m, with Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie winning with 5.77m.

Kenyan David Rudisha was half a second outside his own world record attempt at the 800m but still set a new best time in the world for the year with a 1:41:54, obliterating the rest of the field.

Mo Farah, who has set the world-leading time of 12:56.98 in Eugene last month, was given a reminder of the task he faces to win 5,000m gold in London as Ethiopian Dejen Gebremeskel stormed to victory in 12:46.81 while his compatriot Hagos Gebrhiwet set a new world junior record of 12:47.53 in second, the duo dominating a high-class field featuring 10 Kenyans and five other Ethiopians including world record holder Kenenisa Bekele.

Fastest 100m times in 2012

9.75: Yohan Blake (Jam)

9.76: Usain Bolt (Jam)

9:79: Usain Bolt (Jam)

9.80: Justin Gatlin (USA)

9.82: Usain Bolt (Jam)

9.84: Yohan Blake (Jam)

9:85: Asafa Powell (Jam)

9:86: Keston Bledman (Trin)

9:86: Tyson Gay (USA)

Injured Gay to Miss World Championships

Tyson Gay will miss the World Championships after having his season ended by a hip injury.

The sprinter, 28, who would have been one of Usain Bolt's main rivals in South Korea, withdrew before his 100m semi-final at the US national trials.

Gay had an arthroscopic procedure on his hip and will now focus on preparing for next summer's Olympics in London.

Earlier this season he clocked 9.79 seconds for the 100m - the fastest time in the world this year.

His personal best - 9.69 seconds - is a US national record and the second fastest time ever recorded, behind Bolt's world record of 9.58 seconds.

Gay had qualified from his heat at the US trials in a wind-assisted 10.01 seconds, second behind Ivory Williams and third fastest overall, but pulled out before the semi-final, citing a recurrence of a problem in his right hip and adductor muscle.

"I've been bandaging it up (and) couldn't really take (it) anymore," Gay said. "I decided to stay healthy. It's pretty painful running in pain."

His semi-final was won by Williams, who was then disqualified from the final as Walter Dix won in 9.94 seconds.

Justin Gatlin, the disgraced 2004 Olympic champion who has returned to the sport after completing a drugs ban, finished just one hundredth of a second behind Dix in second with Michael Rodgers third to complete the US trio for Daegu.

Gay could still be part of the 4x100m relay team were he to recover in time, USA Track and Field (USATF) officials said.

"But he has to be able to show fitness and be able to run," said USATF President Stephanie Hightower.

Gay's doctor, Marc Philippon, appeared to rule out that possibility, saying Gay should only be able to resume training within the next six to nine weeks.

"It is a big blow," said Dix of Gay's potential loss to the relay squad. "Tyson at his best is one of the top runners in the world. We're going to have to step up."

Gay has been badly affected by injuries since winning the 100m and 200m world titles in Osaka in 2007.

In 2008, he was injured during the 200m at the US Olympic trials and later that year failed to make the 100m final at the Beijing Games.

The following year, he pulled out of the 200m after taking 100m silver behind Bolt when the Jamaican broke the world record at the World Championships in Berlin.

Former world record holder Asafa Powell edged out Bolt's training partner Yohan Blake to win the Jamaican 100m trials for the World Championships.

Powell clocked a winning time of 10.08 seconds into a headwind and was joined by Blake (10.09) and Steve Mullings (10.10) in claiming berths for Daegu.

World record holder Bolt did not compete in the trials because he has a wildcard bye as the defending champion in both the 100m and 200m.

Tyson Gay out Bolt World Clash

Gay suffers injury

Tyson Gay will miss out on a 100m clash with Usain Bolt at this year's World Championships after pulling out of the US National trials with a hip injury.

Gay, 28, withdrew before his semi-final and is unlikely to run in Saturday's 200m, meaning he would not be eligible for the sprints in Daegu, South Korea.

He could still run in the 4x100m relay at the event which begins on 27 August.

Former Olympic 100m champion Justin Gatlin is set to return for the US after a four-year drug ban.

Gay, who has run the fastest 100m in the world this year of 9.79 seconds, had been expected to be one of the main challengers to Jamaican world record-holder Bolt in the 100m in South Korea.

His US record of 9.69sec makes him the second-fastest man in history behind Bolt, who holds the world record of 9.58sec, and he beat the injury-affected Olympic champion in Stockholm last year.

Gay had qualified from his heat in a wind-assisted 10.01 seconds, second behind Ivory Williams and third fastest overall, but withdrew before the semi-final citing a recurrence of a problem in his right hip and adductor.

"I've been bandaging it up, couldn't really take anymore," Gay said. "I decided to stay healthy. It's pretty painful running in pain."

The race was again won by Williams, who was then disqualified from the final as Walter Dix won in 9.94sec.

Gatlin, the disgraced 2004 Olympic champion, finished just one hundredth of a second behind in second with Michael Rodgers third to complete the US trio for the World Championships.

Gay could still be part of the 4x100m relay team if he recovered in time, USA Track and Field (USATF) officials said.

"But he has to be able to show fitness and be able to run," said USATF President Stephanie Hightower.

"It is a big blow," said Dix of Gay's potential loss to the relay squad. "Tyson at his best is one of the top runners in the world. We're going to have to step up."

Gay has been plagued by injuries since winning the 100m and 200m world titles in Osaka in 2007.

In 2008, he was injured during the 200m at the US Olympic trials and later that year failed to make the 100m final at the Beijing Games.

The following year, he pulled out of the 200m after taking 100m silver behind Bolt when he set his world record at the World Championships in Berlin.

Former world record holder Asafa Powell edged out Bolt's training partner Yohan Blake to win the Jamaican 100m trials for the World Championships.

Powell clocked a winning time of 10.08 seconds into a headwind and was joined by Blake (10.09) and Steve Mullings (10.10) in claiming berths for Daegu.

World record holder Bolt did not compete in the trials because he has a wildcard bye as the defending champion in both the 100m and 200m.

Bolt Gets Gay 100m Warning

Tyson Gay in Manchester

Tyson Gay ran the year's fastest 100m in 9.79 seconds in Florida on Saturday to send a warning to rival Usain Bolt.

Gay, 28, unbeaten in 100m last season, has said he needs to improve to keep up with the triple Olympic champion.

The 2007 world champion bettered the 9.89 run by Jamaican training partner Steve Mullings in May.

Mullings later had the chance to upstage Gay at the Diamond League meeting in Oregon but was just outside the time, winning the 100m in 9.80.

Gay also clocked the fastest time of 2010 with 9.78 and beat Bolt, who is also the world champion, when the two met in Stockholm last year.

The world's top two sprinters are not scheduled to go head-to-head until the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea in August with Gay insisting that Bolt, who holds the world record 100m time of 9.58, remains the dominant athlete.

Few would argue with Gay's views, but the American seems to have overcome the injuries he has struggled with since his double sprint glory in Osaka four years ago, and his current form is impressive.

Gay clocked a stunning 14.51 on the damp streets at Manchester's Great City Games on 15 May in the 150m race, and followed that with an electric sprint in the United States on Saturday.

It may have only been a low-key event in a heat in the National Training Center Sprint Series in Clermont, Florida, but the performance should, at least, cause some concern for Bolt.

The Jamaican Bolt recently returned to the track after a 10-month absence with victory at the Diamond League meeting in Rome.

But it was a rather lacklustre display by the colourful Jamaican's own standards, winning in 9.91.

He continues his Diamond League season in Oslo in Norway on 9 June, while Gay next runs the 100m at the Diamond League meeting in New York on Saturday 11 June.