Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt said the finding of 31 positive doping samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympics marked a rough point for athletics, but backed the World Anti-Doping Agency in its effort to crackdown on drug use in the sport.

Thirty-one athletes from six sports could be banned from this year’s Rio Olympics by the International Olympic Committee after failing dope tests when 454 samples were re-examined from the 2008 Games.

“It’s rough in the sport,” the six-times Olympic champion said.

“Something that’s been tarnishing the sport for years.”

The IOC said it would begin re-testing athletes likely to take part in the Rio Games to prevent any drug cheats from competing.

“Hopefully, we can take steps forward in making the sports better and in the coming years we won’t have these problems,” said Bolt, 29.

“But I think it’s a process, and I think over time we will get better because they’re (WADA) doing such a good job.”

Bolt will take part in the 100m at the Golden Spike IAAF World Challenge in Ostrava today.

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