In recent years, athletics has been plighted with various high profile drugs scandals that have threatened to diminish the sport’s popularity.

Campbell however, says that the world’s fastest man is raising the profile of athletics once again by getting a new generation of young fans excited about the sport who have marvelled as he has won the 100 and 200 metres at first the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and then again at the World Championships in Berlin, breaking the world record every time. 

Campbell told insidethegames: “I think he is definitely is saving the sport.

"The things he does on the start line before he races, like dancing, posing and joking about, are great.

“He plays around and gets the crowd involved and then goes on to win races in unbelievable times.

"That is just brilliant for the sport."

Campbell thinks that Bolt’s antics encourage youngsters to enjoy athletics regardless of their ability as Bolt shows that you do not always have to take sport too seriously.

He said: “Its all about fun at the end of the day and its fantastic that Bolt can show he is having so much fun out there even though the competition is so intense.

“Sport is pure and the more children we can get out there and get participating in it the better.

“Bolt sets a good example to all kids who just want to go and have fun through playing sport.

"Bolt is putting the fun back into athletics and at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about."

Campbell’s former British teammate, convicted drugs cheat Dwain Chambers, was on the start line with Bolt at the historic 100m final at the recent Athletics World Championships in Berlin.

Chambers did well by claiming fifth place as Bolt shattered his own world record to run 9.58sec.

Campbell, a well documented critic of drug taking in athletics, holds no animosity towards Chambers even though Campbell himself was forced to give back gold and silver medals from the 2002 European Championships that he had won as part of a 4x100m relay team that had featured Chambers.

Campbell said: “Dwain made a mistake.

"He acknowledged that and now he is getting his second chance and is trying to make the most of it.

“Everybody deserves a second chance in life and I have no bad feelings towards Dwain.

"I will always forgive you as long as you acknowledge you are wrong and say that you are sorry."

Campbell, a member of Britain's 4x100m relay team that won the Olympic gold medals in Athens in 2004 and the 1998 European 100m champion, is now carving out a new career for himself coaching some of England's top footballers.

He has given sprint coaching sessions to a number of high profile Premiership football clubs, including Manchester United and Chelsea.

Campbell also revealed to insidethegames that he is back working with Fulham striker Andy Johnson and he will likely be teaming up with England defender Joleon Lescott now the defender has moved to Manchester City in a £24 million transfer from Everton.

Campbell still believes that Thierry Henry is the footballer who would be the best suited to sprinting on the athletics track and told insidethegames that Henry near “perfect technique”.

He said: “If you watch him, he glides when he runs.

"He has long legs too and Usain Bolt has shown what sprinters with long legs can do."

In his role as UK School Games Ambassador, Campbell is obviously very interested in the future generation of British talent with London 2012 on the horizon.

He said: “London 2012 will be inspiring, no doubt about it.

“Having competed in my home country at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, I know how great it is competing when everyone is supporting you.

“I have experienced the amazing buzz of competing in England and I want as many British athletes as possible to compete at London 2012 so they get the chance to experience that unbelievable feeling that I felt at the Commonwealth Games in 2002."

 

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