“I’m going to say something controversial right now. Carl Lewis, I have no respect for him,” said Usain Bolt on Thursday soon after winning gold in the 200 meters at the London Olympics for 100 and 200 titles at back-to-back games. “The things he says about the track athletes is really downgrading for another athlete to say something like that. I think he’s just looking for attention, really, because nobody really talks much about him.
“That was really sad for me when I heard the other day what he was saying. It was upsetting. I’ve lost all respect for him. All respect.”
Asked which specific comments from Lewis made him angry, Bolt replied: “It was all about drugs. Talking about drugs. For me, an athlete out of the sport to be saying that. That was really upsetting for me. Really upsetting.
“To jump up and say something like that. As far as I’m concerned he’s looking for attention. That’s all.”
Lewis is a former track and field athlete, who won 10 Olympic including 9 gold, and 10 World Championship medals, including 8 gold.