The Editor, Sir:

I am most livid about Carl Lewis' comments about Jamaica's so-called below par drug-testing facilities. This, in light of the fact that Dr Herb Elliot has said, openly, that he has been testing Bolt and others for doping and the tests have proved negative.

Render to Caesar what is due to Caesar. It seems as though no one, other than the American athletes, should be on top, and how dare Jamaicans outshine the Americans? The fact that we have outshone them, there must be something illegal that we've done.

The playing field is level

No, Mr Lewis, its all natural ability. The time has come for doped athletes to be excluded and the world has caught up with the Americans and others. The playing field is level for the first time in a long time.

The athletes have done well and have done so naturally. Carl Lewis seems bent on taking away our athletes' Olympic glory, which is well deserved. The need for scrutiny cannot be denied. Its necessity comes because the sport has been tainted by the behaviour of Americans, who have been able, for years, to conceal the fact that they were taking drugs, by being one step ahead of the drug-testing facilities. He has not looked at the fact that the tests at the Olympics have proven our athletes drug-free.

I know that the performance of the Jamaicans at the Olympics have started a fire and I'm hoping that fire will be fanned in Jamaica in the primary/prep schools, high schools and tertiary institutions, and that it will spread like wildfire, so that at the next Olympic showing, our team will be stronger and fearless that Jamaicans will continue to show our true mettle. Jamaicans, let's show the world what we can do naturally.

I am, etc.,

D. GAYLE

dametagayle@yahoo.com

Via Go-Jamaica