Six-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt says Tyson Gay should be “kicked out” of athletics and says the decision to give him only a one-year ban was “the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard”.

Gay was caught using anabolic steroids in 2013 and was given a year ban by the United States Anti-Doping Agency having co-operated with their investigation.

He has since returned to competition and is expected to line up alongside Bolt at the World Championships in Beijing this summer. But the fastest man in history is deeply unhappy that the second fastest has been allowed back on the track. “I was really upset about that,” Bolt told Runner’s World.

“He got a year just because he talked to the authorities about how it was done and who helped him.

“That sends the wrong message: ‘If you do it and get caught, just tell us all you know and we’ll lower your ban.’ It’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. The message should be: ‘If you cheat you’re going to be kicked out of the sport.’

“I’m not looking forward to competing against Tyson. It really bothers me. I’m not worried about him beating me, I think it’s because I respected him so much over the years. He was a competitor, kept me on my toes and he pushed me to always do my best.

“Then to find out that he was on drugs — it’s a bit like I think parents must feel when they have a kid who does something bad and lets them down. I feel like he let me down and he let the sport down.

“You have to drive fear into athletes, to make them think about the consequences of their actions. If they’re getting an easy penalty why would they care?”

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