Bolt anger at Gay’s short drug ban

Usain Bolt has waded into athletics’ drugs war by insisting that Tyson Gay, the second-fastest 100 metres sprinter in history, should have been kicked out of the sport.

Gay, the winner of three world titles in 2007, failed three drugs tests in 2013 but was given a reduced one-year ban after turning informer for the US Anti-Doping Agency.

In his most outspoken interview about athletics’ cheating scandals, Bolt took aim at the American, who returned to competition last summer.

‘‘I was really upset about that,’’ the Jamaican said. ‘‘He got a year just because he talked to the authorities about how it was done and who helped him. That sends the wrong message: ‘If you do it and get caught, just tell us all you know and we’ll lower your ban.’

‘‘It’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. The message should be: ‘If you cheat you’re going to be kicked out of the sport’.’’

Athletics is mired in a drugs epidemic. The IAAF, the world governing body, is investigating claims in a German television documentary that 99 per cent of Russian athletes have doped.

Take Bolt out of the record list and the 17 fastest 100 metres have been recorded by athletes who have served doping bans ranging from three months to four years.

Gay was faster than Bolt last year and the six-time Olympic champion said that he was not relishing their first meeting since the American’s exile, which is likely to come at this summer’s World Championships in Beijing.

‘‘I’m not looking forward to competing against Tyson,’’ Bolt said in an exclusive interview in Runner’s World.

‘‘It really bothers me. I’m not worried about him beating me, I think it’s because I respected him so much over the years. He was a competitor, kept me on my toes and he pushed me to always do my best. Then to find out that he was on drugs – it’s a bit like I think parents must feel when they have a kid who does something bad and lets them down. I feel like he let me down and he let the sport down.’’

Gay failed three tests after using steroid creams. He admitted that he had started using them before the London Olympics, when he won a silver medal in the 4x100 metres relay. His results from 2012 were erased and he was stripped of his Olympic medal, but he got a reduced, backdated term for informing on his coach, Jon Drummond, the winner of two Olympic relay gold medals. Drummond started defamation proceedings against Gay last year but has since been given an eightyear ban for possession, trafficking and administering drugs.

Bolt believes that Gay has escaped lightly. ‘‘You have to drive fear into athletes, to make them think about the consequences of their actions,’’ he said. ‘‘If they’re getting an easy penalty why would they care?’’