Usain Bolt: I can do no more to shake off doping question marks

By George Scott, Sportsbeat

USAIN Bolt insists there's nothing he can do to stop drug allegations from following him after revolutionising the world of sprinting.

 ADMITTING DEFEAT: Usain Bolt resigns himself to the fact that there will always been doubts about whether he is clean or not

Doping scandals have plagued athletics since Ben Johnson was stripped of his Olympic 100m gold medal - and his world record of 9.77 seconds - at the Seoul Games in 1988.

But Bolt has revolutionised the sport since claiming 100m, 200m and 4x100m gold in Beijing, before repeating the feat at August's World Athletics Championships in Berlin.

Bolt has shaved 0.16 seconds off the 100m mark in the past two years, while it took those before him 16 years to reduce it by the same margin and he was equally ruthless in destroying the 200m record, carving it down to an incredulous 19.19 secs.

And he aided Jamaica on their charge in the German capital, as they captured ten sprinting medals, including six golds - but their preparations were blighted by accusations of doping levied at five of their athletes.

The quintet, including Yohan Blake, a member of Bolt's Racers Track Club, were cleared after the Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission ruled they could not determine whether the unnamed substance they tested positive for was on the prohibited list.

Four of those five athletes subsequently received a three-month ban and 100m, 200m and 4x100m world record holder Bolt admits he is fighting a losing battle - but insists he remains 100 per cent focused on delivering the goods at London 2012.

"I've been saying I'm clean all season but people will always say things," said Bolt at the launch of The Long Run, a Zeitz Foundation initiative to promote sustainable living. 

"The IAAF are doing a good job of cleaning up the sport but whatever I do people will always say something.

"As soon as someone starts running fast there's always a problem, but I'll continue running fast. I'm clean without a doubt.

"The London Games is going to be very big for me. I did an extraordinary thing in Beijing but I'm definitely going to come to London and defend my titles.

"London is like a second home to me because there's such a big Jamaican community.

"Rio 2016 is a long time away and I'm not worried about that - I'm just focusing on 2012."

Despite his penchant for fast cars and jet-set lifestyle, Bolt has thrown his support behind The Long Run.

And the 23-year-old is adamant he can be a force for good off the track as well as on it. 

"We're off to visit Africa for the project and I think I can out-run a lion but I might have a problem with the cheetahs," he added.  

"It will be interesting to see the animals and the environment but also the problems we're facing so I can understand it a bit more and see what I can do to help.

"I need to spread the word. I appeal to the younger generation and believe they will listen to me. 

"I think sport can do a lot of good and the younger generation are the future so they need to learn about sustainable living."