Birthday boy Bolt wants doping questions to stop

Posted: Friday 21st August 2009 | 13:20

LUNCHTIME in Berlin and birthday boy Usain Bolt is probably still in bed.

BIRTHDAY WISH: Usain Bolt wants questions about doping to stop - but acknowledges they will continue

Bolt's victory and world record in last night's 200m at the World Athletics Championships dominates newspaper headlines and news bulletins in Germany this morning.

Jamaican team officials are staying coy about whether their star man will be in action in tonight's 4x100m relay heats, although surely what is already a strong looking squad can progress without him.

Bolt said his only birthday wish was for a long sleep, claiming he was 'struggling to walk' after the fatigue of the last few fleet-footed days.

But he also wants to show the world an athlete can run exceptional times while remaining clean of drugs - not easy to do in a sport where eyebrows are always raised when performances are out of the ordinary.

"I just run, that is what I do, I don't know what else I can say to prove to people I am clean," he said.

"I get tested all the time, I train hard, I am legit.

"Hopefully, if I keep winning and stay clean the questions will go away one day. That's my wish."