It is no longer considered smart to claim: "Oh, I'm hopeless at maths," but that doesn't mean most of us are much good at it. So certain chapters in this book, written by a professor of mathematical sciences, are a distinct challenge for those of us who haven't attempted to unravel an equation for years.

Usain Bolt eased to victory in Ostrava last night, but his post-race reaction was somewhat unusual.

Phillips Idowu opened his 2012 season with a victory over Christian Taylor, the American who relieved him of the world triple jump title last year, in the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Shanghai on Saturday. Competing in wet, cold conditions, Idowu jumped 17.24 metres to claim victory ahead of Taylor's American team-mate Will Claye, whose best was 17.12m. Taylor finished third with 16.96m.

Justin Gatlin beat Jamaica's Asafa Powell on the line to win the 100m in a time of 9.87 seconds at the season-opening Diamond League meet in Doha yesterday.

The Good, The Bad and The Odd

Far from the madding crowd at the 2012 Olympic Stadium on Saturday night, the athlete most likely to emerge as a class act on the big stage come Games time got his season off to a flying start in the early hours, British-time, yesterday. Running in his first individual race of the year, the 100 metres in the Jamaica Invitational meeting at the National Stadium in Kingston, Usain Bolt emerged victorious in 9.82 seconds – the fastest time in the world in 2012 and his quickest-ever season opener.

British sprinter Dwain Chambers will compete against world record holder Usain Bolt over 100 metres at this month's Golden Spike event in Ostrava.

Sir Steve Redgrave has warned there may be some protests against Dwain Chambers taking part in the Olympics from other members of the British team at London 2012 because of his drugs past.

Paula Radcliffe has vowed to lead a worldwide campaign to pressurise the World Anti-Doping Agency into applying tougher bans on drug cheats.

The British Olympic Association have lost a court case to keep their lifetime ban for drugs cheats.

A number of British athletes, including the Olympic gold medallist Mark Hunter, have expressed disappointment at the imminent overturning of the British Olympic Association's controversial bylaw that bans dopers from the Games for life.

Usain Bolt opened his 2012 season with an impressive relay leg in Kingston, Jamaica, on Saturday night, but the Lightning Bolt had his thunder stolen in the UTech Invitational.

When we come to tally up the profit and loss account for the Olympics, there's going to be a lot in the debit column: bloated costs, Lord Coe's corporate toadying and the runaway creation of eyesores (I have to rinse with Optrex if I even catch a glimpse of bloody Wenlock and Mandeville).

Many visitors pouring into London this summer for the Olympics will arrive at Nadia Comaneci. They'll need to travel by tube to Simon Whitfield (via Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal) before changing there and heading to Michael Phelps (via Carl Lewis).