Bolt Believes Athletics is on Right Track

(ATR) Usain Bolt is confident that his sport is headed in the right direction and will overcome its doping and corruption problems.

"I think the sport has been going through a lot over the past couple of years, but you have to go through your worst time, to get to your best," the track and field legend told media at a news conference in Ostrava, Czech Republic, where he will compete on Wednesday night.

"I think Seb Coe is doing a good job now – they are really trying to make track and field as transparent as possible," Bolt said, referring to the current IAAF president, who took over for the disgraced Lamine Diack in August 2015.

"When they use the independent doping system, it will run a lot more smoothly…it won’t seem like track and field is in the corruptions," Bolt continued.

"I think that is the right way to go – the fact is the competition is getting better with youngsters coming through, so the only problem we really have is doping."

The Jamaican sprinter opens the European leg of his farewell season at the 56th Golden Spike IAAF World Challenge in the eastern Czech city. Bolt will race the 100 meters, the final event on the program. He will also be honored with a farewell ceremony after competition concludes.

Bolt has won eight Olympic gold medals over an illustrious international career which has spanned 16 seasons. He had a ninth gold medal stripped in January when his Jamaican 4x100m relay teammate Nesta Carter had a positive retest of Beijing Olympic doping samples.

"When people can really start consistently trusting track and field it will get better and stand up with the rest of the sports," Bolt added. "I think over time it will get better."

Bolt said he hasn’t finalized his season program, but his plans after Ostrava include a Diamond League meet in Monaco on July 21 and then the London IAAF World Championships in August. The 100- and 200-meter world record holder will run the 100 meters at London Olympic Stadium, but skip the 200.

"For sure, I won’t be running the 200 meters," said Bolt, who has won the 200 meters at each of the last four world championships. "People keep asking, but no."

Bolt, who made his Olympic debut in Athens 2004 at age 17, said he is unsure what he will be doing during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

"I have no idea, but I’m definitely excited just to sit and watch and to see who will be the next Olympic champion over 100 and 200 meters," Bolt said.

"There are a lot of young stars coming up – I heard the results at the U.S. trials and I see youngsters at the Jamaican trials, so there’s a lot of potential coming thru," he said. "It’s going to be exciting to see who is coming up and will be a champion."

Bolt advised that his coach Glen Mills is "pushing me hard to get into coaching," but said he isn’t ready to take on that responsibility.

"Maybe next season I’ll be at the track a lot, but I won't be a coach," Bolt said. "I’ll oversee and watch. He wants me to be a part of the Racers Group as much as possible, so I’ll definitely try and be a part of that."

Bolt and other elite sprinters currently train with the Racers Track Club, which was founded by Mills.

Always the entertainer, dazzling fans over the years with his signature lightning bolt pose, it seems that television work would be a perfect fit for the flamboyant Jamaican.

"We’ll see about the TV part, I’m not sure, but I’m sure somebody will want me to do some stuff with them," Bolt said with a big smile.

Bolt will be making his ninth appearance in Ostrava on Wednesday, more than at any other European meet. Having made his debut in 2006, he has never lost a race in the Czech Republic city.

Written and reported by Brian Pinelliin Ostrava.

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