The English tabloids are at it again, this time maligning Carl Lewis. The story, suggesting that the former American sprint king was riddled with arthritis, first surfaced in the Sun, before spreading to the Times of London and eventually around the world via Agence France Presse.

Lewis's agent Joe Douglas was quick to quash the allegations. "It is completely inaccurate. There is no truth to his alleged arthritis, no truth to the wheelchair. Not one of these quotes is true."

Lewis surmised that the basis of the story could have been drawn from Lewis's recent endorsement of a drug commonly used to treat arthritis. Lewis has used the drug to treat knee and back soreness dating back to the 1980s. Apparently the American still runs two or three days a week and also lifts weights.