I HAVE enjoyed watching the best athletes in the world return to London these past few days, in a little reminder of that great summer of sport in 2012.

British Olympic heroes achieved astonishing results that year, and seeing athletes like Mo Farah return for a final swan song at the World Athletics Championships has been thrilling to watch.

Of course, at the 2012 Olympics it wasn’t just the Brits that were the star attraction the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt being one of the most memorable winners.

Since then Bolt has confirmed he is the fastest human in history, holding both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records in the process of becoming an eight-time Olympic gold medalist, so everyone was waiting for that final golden moment for Bolt on Saturday night.

Seeing Bolt beaten in his retirement run was a shock, but it also should have been a moment to be celebrated.

A new star, 21-year-old American Christian Coleman beat Bolt over the line and it should have been all about him as sprinting’s next big thing.

Instead it has all been about the pantomime villain ahead of the pair, 35-year-old Justin Gatlin, a man with a drug-stained past.

The crowd hated the controversial figure winning the race, and he was booed afterwards and when he collected his medal the next day.

I have since seen attempts to defend Gatlin, and the crowd slammed for the way they acted.

No one is perfect, it is argued, and although Gatlin has received two suspensions for failed drugs tests, people point to the circumstances around his first ban, and giving him another chance after his second.

I can’t be convinced though, and believe lifetime bans are needed. We need to believe everything we see when we watch sport is clean and real, otherwise what is the point.

Think of those athletes who have done everything clean, but missed out. Decades later, after their careers has finished, they may retrospectively receive a medal but it is often too late by then.

Ultimately, athletics went backwards on Saturday night, when Bolt had done so much to move things in the right direction.

If athletics is to survive it needs to rebuild its damaged reputation, and fast.