Well, I believe what I saw.

What I don’t believe? That Usain Bolt, a 100-meter nobody barely a year ago, could get to the finish line in 9.69 seconds — a world record — without the aid of unnatural substances that ought to get him banned from the Olympics.

If the dope cops were as clever as the dope-takers, that is.

It was impressive to watch. No question. Eight fast guys (even if Tyson Gay did bomb out in the semis), including Asafa Powell and Walter Dix.

And Bolt smoked the other seven. Just blew them away. He had a slow start, which is about right for a guy who is 6-foot-4, but then pulled away from the field with the greatest of ease.

In fact, he was showboating the final 10 meters, looking around, his hands up in the air …

And he still ran a 9.69?

If he had kept his head down and kept pushing hard, he might have run a 9.60.

Yikes.

To me, the only question about this is if he gets caught.

Ben Johnson set a world record of 9.79 at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and was busted a few days later. Of course, that was back in the days when a guy as sloppy as Ben Johnson was sure to get caught — he was taking so many steroids the whites of his eyes had turned yellow.

I’m not saying it will happen to Bolt because no one seems to get caught at the Olympics, anymore. Not anyone meaningful.

What really impressed me on this whole Jamaica/sprinters/Bolt issue? When BALCO evil-genius Victor Conte said that Jamaica’s sprint ascendancy is unnatural.

The “money” quote from the Dr. Frankenstein of doping:

“To see the fastest people in the world coming from one island [Jamaica], I’m highly suspicious,” Conte said. “I believe there’s rampant use of performance-enhancing drugs in the Caribbean.”

Hmm.

Hey, wait!

Six of the eight finalists in the men’s 100 tonight were from the Caribbean — Michael Frater, Powell and Bolt from Jamaica, Marc Burns and Thompson from Trinidad and Tobago; and Churandy Martina from the Netherlands Antilles.

Nobody from Africa could make the final eight. No one from Europe or Asia. No one from South America could even get into the final. But five guys from tiny island nations could?

Yes, I saw Bolt run a 9.69.

I don’t believe he did it legally.