Maurice Greene

MOSCOW, Russia:

Former 100m World and Olympic champion Maurice Greene believes that a couple of high level, headline-grabbing performances from superstars such as Usain Bolt at the fast approaching IAAF World Championships in Athletics, will go a long way in helping the battered image of track and field.

The sport has once again been rocked by news of failed drug tests, with some of its biggest names, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson all involved this time around.

Greene, who retired from the sport in 2008, has also experienced being in the middle of a doping storm, after several big names such as Tim Montgomery and Marion Jones were charged for taking performance enhancing substances, leaving huge doubts over the sport and his own credibility.

"It's always damaging when you bring up drugs in our sport at any time, it always does tremendous damage, and that's why we have to really look at all the positive things and exciting things that are happening and about to happen," Green said.

"We still have a lot of exciting races and exciting athletes competing out here and doing well."

"But the sport will bounce back with great competition, we just have to focus on the competitions that are coming up and hopefully they produce a lot of great performances. Hopefully, that will help us to forget," he added.

"If Usain Bolt comes out and he performs the way he normally does, that will certainly keep the positive talk and vibe around the sport going and that's a good thing," noted Greene, who won four individual medals at the World Championships.