• London Olympics 2012

Bolt can run 9.4s clean - Lord Coe

ESPN staff
March 1, 2012
Usain Bolt is being tipped to smash his 100m world record at the Olympics © Getty Images
Enlarge

Lord Coe has backed Usain Bolt to smash his own 100m world record at London 2012, insisting it is possible to run 9.4 seconds and not be on performance-enhancing drugs.

Bolt's father, Gideon, recently said the sprinter was in "more serious training than I've ever seen" and tipped his son to run 9.4s at this summer's Olympics.

With his current world record standing at 9.58s, Bolt has his work cut out if he is to achieve what his father has predicted. However, Coe, addressing the cynicism that says no athlete can produce phenomenal feats without being on drugs, is urging the doubters to have faith in the legitimacy of the superhuman showings at the Games.

"Nobody comes from nowhere," Coe told the Daily Mail. "Usain Bolt has been around a long time working very hard. It's far too easy simply to say, 'They've made rapid and dramatic progress and therefore they're on some kind of illegal supplement'. That's rarely the case.

"I broke 12 world records and won two Olympic titles and would no more have taken any supplement than jumped off Beachy Head.

"I do seem to remember scientists telling people if they tried to break the four-minute mile, they would probably die in the process. I remember scientists telling me it was probably unlikely that anybody would run significantly under 1min 43sec for 800m.

"David Rudisha (the Kenyan 800m world record holder) is quite capable of running a chunk under 1min 41sec. I do think it's possible for Bolt to run 9.4s."

Coe was speaking as the UK Anti-Doping Agency declared that all 900 British Olympians and Paralympians will be tested at least once prior to London 2012.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices