With no Russians, few stars and the sport engulfed in a doping crisis the world indoor athletics championships begin this week with officials holding their breath and eager to put the spotlight back on the track.
A baffled Usain Bolt ran his worst turn ever as he barely won the 200 metres at the Adidas Grand Prix meet in a sluggish 20.29 seconds on a warm, windy day at Randall's Island in New York, on Saturday.
Elaine Thompson clocked a sizzling wind-assisted 10.71 seconds to win the 100 metres at the Jamaica International on Saturday, sending out a warning to her sprint rivals ahead of August's Rio Olympics.
Jamaica's former world champion Yohan Blake sailed into the final of the 100 metres at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday, living up to his top billing on the opening day of the athletics at the Gold Coast.
Olympic discus thrower Allison Randall on Monday became the third athlete to confirm a positive drugs test from the Jamaican trials in June following Sunday's revelations by sprinters Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson.
Usain Bolt led three Jamaicans into the final of the men's 200 metres on Friday as the World record holder seeks a third successive world title at his favourite distance.
Laughing off questions on potential challengers, Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt turned on the charm offensive on his maiden trip to India, throwing humility out of the window to declare that his records are pretty much out of reach.
Usain Bolt says he is not yet ready for a duel with Justin Gatlin.
Usain Bolt's rivals will, for once, be glad to see the back of a man who has dominated global sprinting for the last decade but the sport of athletics will be far less enthusiastic about bidding a final farewell to the charismatic Jamaican.
Following badminton World No 1 Lee Chong Wei's provisional ban, Rediff.com brings you ten top sports persons who gave in to drugs - one of the mighty perils that has affected modern sporting culture.
World champion Asbel Kiprop's relentless pace proved too much for his rivals, including Mo Farah, as the Kenyan clocked the fastest 1,500 metres time since 2004 at the Monaco Diamond League meeting on Friday.
Ethiopia's world indoor champion Genzebe Dibaba broke the 22-year-old world women's 1,500 metres record on a sultry night at the Monaco Diamond League meet.
American Justin Gatlin felt the full force of the crowd's ire on Sunday and scowled back in response before finishing second to Usain Bolt in the Olympic 100metres final to miss his shot at becoming the oldest man to win the event at age 34.
Athletics is set to reintroduce four-year doping bans even though the move risks alienating the sport from the world anti-doping authority (WADA), officials said on Wednesday on the eve of the world championships.
After his Olympic sprint double at the London 2012 Games, Usain Bolt declared himself a "legend". After winning both events for a third time he opted for "the greatest".
Only world indoor record holder Christian Coleman has run faster than Baker's 9.87 seconds over 100 metres this year, and Baker was more consistent
Olympic champion Usain Bolt sent out a warning to his rivals ahead of the world championships by running the fastest time of the year to win the 200 metres at the Paris Diamond League on Saturday.
The Jamaican was cagey when asked about the latest batch of positive tests and though he stopped short of condemning his rivals, he did issue a reminder of the principle that every athlete is responsible for what they put into their body.
Usain Bolt is determined to concrete his legacy by capping eight years of sprint dominance by defending his 100, 200 and 4x100 metres relay titles in Rio in what he has said will be his final Olympics.
Usain Bolt once again produced his best when it mattered most to retain his 100 metres world title and reassert his status as the number one sprinter on the planet at a rocking Bird's Nest Stadium on Sunday night.
In-form American Justin Gatlin should beat Usain Bolt to win both the sprints at the World Athletics Championships but it would be foolhardy to write off the Jamaican, three-times world 100 metres World champion Maurice Greene said on Friday.
Tyson Fury has been provoking fury well beyond the ring with his pronouncements on homosexuality, women, fellow athletes and a range of other topics.
Usain Bolt returned to the scene of his triple Olympic glory and duly delivered for 60,000 camera-flashing fans as he overcame a slow start to win the 100 metres and give the London Anniversary Games the Friday finale it demanded.
'We keep climbing one step and slipping three. In 2004, our relay team was 7th in the world. Then we slipped from there. Otherwise, today our 4x400 metres relay team would have been gearing for a medal at the Rio Games.' 'If we need to compete at the world level, our thinking needs to be at world level. You can't have akhada thinking.'
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