The Herald (Zimbabwe)

Usain Bolt fumes over drug test :

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SYDNEY. — Sprint legend Usain Bolt says he’s stunned after being handed a drug testing notice despite retiring from athletics and having no profession­al contract as he bids to launch a football career in Australia.

The 100m world record-holder quit athletics last year and is yet to be offered a deal by Australia’s Central Coast Mariners, where he is currently on trial.

“So guys I’ve retired from track and field looking to become a footballer but look at this,” Bolt said yesterday via an Instagram video as he zoomed in on the notice. The demand for the out of competitio­n test — to collect urine and blood — appears to have been issued by Football Federation Australia.

“How am I going to get a drug test today? I’m not even a profession­al footballer yet. Seriously,” said Bolt.

“So I asked the lady, ‘Why am I getting drug tested when I haven’t signed for a club yet?’ and she said they told her I’m an elite athlete so I have to get tested. Okay then.” Despite his displeasur­e, it appears the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority guidelines mean he is eligible to be tested.

Their legislatio­n defines an athlete as a “person who competes in sport” if “the sport has an anti-doping policy”. The eight-time Olympic champion, who dominated sprinting after taking double individual gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, is now bidding to become a profession­al footballer.

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