There is not the slightest shred of evidence that Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter who holds the 100 and 200 metre world records, is propelled by anything other than natural ability and hard training.

So why is there a lingering suspicion that something must be wrong? Why can we not just accept that he is a freak of nature, a man genetically disposed to run as swiftly as the wind?

The problem is that sprint champions of the recent past, starting with the notorious Ben Johnson, were found to be running not only on God-given talent but also on man-made pharmaceuticals. Johnson, Tim Montgomery, and even Marion Jones, so sullied the reputation of sprinting that we fear the worst when we see some extraordinary performance.

That is the second problem for us to accept. Usain has not only set new world records, he has smashed the world records he himself set only last year by extraordinary margins. We find it difficult to accept that talent alone can produce results that athletes running on full tanks of illegal substances could not even approach in very recent times. Usain accepts that the public has a right to scepticism given the track record of so many athletes. I really hope that scepticism is all that is ever levelled at the Jamaican runner – we need a superstar athlete who can legitimately outrun the cheats.