While Jamaica Shines, Doping Casts a Shadow over Olympic Athletics

Bolt’s Jolt for Athletics

As a venue, the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing is one of the imposing symbols of the 2008 Olympics. Just as imposing may be the performances this week inside the stadium by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt and the boost he gives to the sport of athletics.

Bolt won an unprecedented three gold medals in world record time to dominate the second week of the Olympics, giving athletics a performer of Michael Phelps' stature.

The 6-foot-5 Jamaican is the first man to win both men’s 100-meter and 200-meter gold medals since Carl Lewis in 1984. He also ran a blistering third leg on the 4-by-100 meter relay. Then, unlike Phelps, he ran out of events.

"All I can say is, yo, Jamaican sprinters taking over the world," Bolt said.

By the end of Friday night's competition, Jamaica had won six gold medals in athletics, one more than the United States, which was shut out of the sprints, going 0 for 6, for the first time in a non-boycotted Olympics.

Besides Bolt's three world records - one dating back to 1992 and the other to 1996 -- world records were also set by Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva in the women's pole vault and Gulnara Galkina-Samitova in the women's steeplechase, which made its Olympic debut in Beijing.

Going Global with Medals

As of Friday, 37 different countries had won medals after 39 of 47 events, and 22 had won golds, including Bahrain, New Zealand, Belarus, Slovenia and Cameoon.

"We are an unusual sport indeed," IAAF President Lamine Diack said. "With 201 countries and 2,000 athletes, everyone stands a chance. It has nothing to do with the size of the country. It's a very democratic sport."

The United States, which won 30 medals for athletics in Barcelona, has only 21 so far.

Tyson Gay failed to qualify for the men's 100-meter final and didn't get the baton in a botched handoff in the 4-by-100 meter relay.

"There's no doubt about it, at this point, it's been a disappointing Games for the U.S.," admitted Michael Johnson, the U.S. runner who lost his 200-meter world record to Bolt. "In the 100 on the men's side, only one medal and the U.S. is used to dominating. It's cyclical, and it happens. It's great for the sport. Other nations are catching up."

Well, primarily Jamaica, which has six gold medals compared to five for the U.S. The Jamaicans would probably have another if their women's sprint relay hadn't botched a handoff.

Host China has also had a disappointing Games in athletics, with just two bronze medals, both in women's events.

The lightning rod for China's hopes, defending Olympic champion Liu Xiang, was injured and never got to the first hurdle in the 110-meter hurdles.

"This was very much a national catastrophe," Diack said, "but this is part of what happens in our sport."

Doping Leaves a Shadow

Athletics had only two positive doping tests through Friday. Heptathlete Lyudmila Blonska of Ukraine was stripped of her silver medal after her test revealed methyltestosterone, a steroid. Blonska, 30, was suspended for two years in 2003 after testing positive for steroids and now faces a lifetime ban.

Greek sprinter Fani Chalkia also tested positive and was sent home before competing.

Britain's Kelly Sotherton, who had finished fifth in the heptathlon, advocates a policy to prevent drug cheats from returning to the Olympics.

"I'm not happy she competed again," Sotherton told British media. "We have rules in our country that we abide by. We [Britain] don't bring anybody who cheated previously, so why should any other country?

"I'd have been really upset if she'd won gold. The penalty you should pay if you take drugs is not to compete at the Olympics."

Sotherton's teammate, British long jumper Jade Johnson, who finished seventh, also attacked Maurren Higa Maggi, who won Brazil's first gold medal in a field event. The Brazilian had once served a two-year ban after testing positive for a banned substance that she said was in hair removal cream.

"I was hoping anyone would beat her," Johnson said. "I was hoping it would be me. People should be banned for life if they take drugs, simple as that."

Yet Britain's own Christine Ohuruogu didn't fail a drug test, but she missed three out-of-competition tests and served a one-year ban.

She overturned a British Olympic Association bylaw to compete in Beijing.

"She didn't take some tests so we had to sanction her," Diack said. "She fought [to overturn the bylaw], the tribunal handed down the decision and she won. She's not the only one [to have competed so far after doping violations]."

He said the IAAF may adopt a rule for its World Championships similar to the one the IOC applied in Beijing to the case of Katerina Thanou. The IOC barred the Greek, whose missed drug test and faked motorcycle accident scandalized the 2004 Olympics.

Perhaps athletics got its doping scandal out of the way before the Games began. The IAAF banned seven Russian female athletes, including 1,500-meter favorite Yelena Soboleva, for tampering with the doping control process.

Diack said the United States had its own doping scandals, but they've been cleaned up.

"We no longer have the problem with the Americans now," Diack said.

"Now it's up to the Russians to put order in their house."

View From Inside the Bird's Nest

The spectacular exterior of the Bird's Nest surrounds an interior that looks like any other athletics stadium. The only bells and whistles are the two giant video screens on each end of the stadium. The top of the stadium "run" by the final torchbearer in a thrilling opening ceremony lap is just white space during athletics events.

Still, the cauldron is impressive and its roar was audible during a lull in the action.

Unlike previous Olympics, even morning sessions were mostly full.

Unfortunately, the seats were uncomfortable after a long period of time and it was hard to make out what the public address announcers were saying. Although there were plenty of concession stands, there was no variety; they all had the same food and drinks.

The media setup in the press tribune was effective, but the mixed zone was far away. Reporters had to trek up and down five flights of stairs and 48 steps to reach the mixed zone and press conference room.

Diack said conditions were good for the athletes. "The track is fast and there has been practically no wind at all.”

The IAAF president said he'd like to see athletics events end earlier. Most nights end around 10 to 11 p.m. "Just like in Athens, we were very much aware of the heat issue," Diack said. "I tend to go to bed early. I would rather races end 9 or 9:30 p.m."

He said instead, he has been up until 11:30 p.m.

"I hope that will not be the case in London.”

Written by ATR Staff in BeijingFor general comments or questions, click here