Jamaicans are clean, says Bolt

By Nick Mulvenney

BEIJING (Reuters) - Triple Beijing Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt says Jamaica's best ever Games is the result of hard work and not doping. The 22-year-old's sensational performance in winning 100, 200 and 4x100 meters gold in world record times spearheaded a Jamaican dominance of the Bird's Nest track.

He and his team mate's record-breaking exploits have raised eyebrows, however, with suggestions that Jamaica's undeveloped anti-doping system might be behind their success.

"We've been tested a lot, I've been tested four times even before I started running," Bolt told a news conference on Saturday.

"I've been tested so many times in the competition I've lost count. We know we're good, we know we're clean. We work hard and any time you want to test us, it's OK."

But sections of the media remain skeptical. "As Records Fall, Suspicions of Doping Linger", ran a headline on the New York Times website after Bolt's world record run in the 200m.

Jamaica does not have its own accredited anti-doping system like those of its major track rivals but has been working with the assistance of the governing IAAF to conduct more than 90 tests on the island at various levels before the Olympics.

Michael Fennell, president of the Jamaican Olympic Committee, said they took anti-doping very seriously and had been working with the IAAF to test athletes in Jamaica.

"What almost amuses us is why some people in the world don't feel that others can be that good," he said.

"We have been good for a very long time ... the quality of our coaching and the talent that we have is just showing up now and justifying our place as the leading athletics country in the world.

"I would not like anybody to suggest that this is anything but pure raw talent, properly trained, properly coached and properly presented and reaping the rewards of all that hard work."

Chef de Mission Don Anderson said winning six golds, three silvers and a bronze -- all on the track -- made Beijing undoubtedly Jamaica's most successful Games ever.

"All the records that you've seen broken and all the gold medals that have been won by Jamaica in the last two weeks have come after extensive testing of our athletes," he said.

"There have been 32 tests conducted on Jamaican athletes over the last three weeks here in Beijing ... Over 25 of our athletes have been tested representing 50 percent of our aggregation."

"So all the medals won by Usain Bolt (and his team mates) have come after extensive testing by ... all the bodies involved in testing and that, as far as I am concerned, is more than adequate proof.

(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)