IT’S been almost 12 years since Carl Lewis publicly questioned the legitimacy of Usain Bolt’s record-setting performances at the Beijing Olympics in a sport “that has the reputation it has right now”.

It’s been almost eight years since Bolt said of Lewis, “Nobody really remembers who he is.”
It’s been six years since Lewis reportedly said, “He needs to back up now and maybe respect me a little bit more.”

More recently, Lewis tweeted on May 4, “It’s time we have an honest conversation about the future of our sport. The present financial model is unsustainable.
The global pandemic has changed the future of sport forever. We need to discuss the federations and the number of athletes competing.” The tweet was followed by a link to a Financial Times article on the financial impact of a delayed Tokyo Olympics on World Athletics.

In a Gazzetta dello Sport interview published Friday, Bolt was asked to comment on the first sentence of Lewis’ tweet, noting Lewis has often questioned aspects of today’s track and field.

Bolt, in response, said that in retirement he will never become one who complains about everything and makes comparisons with the past, according to a Google Translated version of the Q&A. All sports must evolve with the changing times.

Bolt has expressed opinions on sprinting since his 2017 retirement – notably, on the dearth of young, male Jamaican prospects.

“I’ve walked away from the sport, and no one is there to pick it up, pick up the pieces, keep the level,” Bolt said last summer. “It’s embarrassing for the country.

Every time I see people, they say come back. We need you. But you have so much talent in Jamaica.”
“I don’t think it is going to get any better because I think these youngsters are a little bit spoiled,” Bolt added then, according to Reuters.

(NBC Sports)