Coe puts Bolt in Ali's class

Usain Bolt has done for athletics what Muhammad Ali did for boxing, but the sport will survive when the sprint king eventually retires, according to new IAAF president Sebastian Coe.

The Jamaican superstar, who has captured a staggering 17 of the past 18 sprint gold medals at the Olympics and world championships since 2008, has suggested he could hang up his spikes after next year's Rio Games.

Bolt's retirement would leave a gaping void for the crisis-hit sport as it continues to fight accusations of widespread doping, but Coe on Sunday expressed confidence in the next generation of track and field athletes.