There’s no way to know for sure. But I separate FloJo from Bolt. FloJo was an average sprinter for many years when she began showing incredible improvements leading up to the 1988 Olympics under the direction of coach Bob Kersee, who developed a reputation over the years as a “steroid coach.”
Bolt, on the other hand was a childhood prodigy in sprinting rich Jamaica as a teenager. He was also a “freak of nature” at 6’5”. No Olympic sprinting champion had ever been that tall. The key to Bolt’s championships was his ability to get up to top speed within about 30 meters and then simply reel in the rest of the field with his incredibly long strides.
There have never been any credible charges of steroid use against Bolt. In fact, he was one of the most outspoken athletes against the use of performance enhancing drugs. As for FloJo, there will always be suspicions associated with her performance.
