Justin Gatlin

Justin Gatlin
Justin Gatlin cropped.JPG
Justin Gatlin after winning the 100 m event at the 2005 IAAF World Championships
Personal information
Nationality American
Date of birth February 10, 1982 (1982-02-10) (age 29)
Place of birth Brooklyn, New York
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 175 lb (79 kg)
Sport
Sport Running
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)

100m: 9.85

200m: 19.86
 
Medal record
Competitor for  United States
Men’s athletics
Olympic Games
Gold 2004 Athens 100 m
Bronze 2004 Athens 200 m
Silver 2004 Athens 4×100 m relay
World Championships
Gold 2005 Helsinki 100 m
Gold 2005 Helsinki 200 m
World Indoor Championships
Gold 2003 Birmingham 60 m

Justin Gatlin (born February 10, 1982) is an American sprinter. He is an Olympic gold medalist, with a 100 m personal best of 9.85 seconds. He served a four-year ban from track and field for testing positive for a banned substance; Gatlin had appealed the ban in 2009, but it was later denied.

Contents

Biography

Gatlin attended Woodham High School in Pensacola, Florida.

In the fall of 2000, Gatlin arrived at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, as a good high school 110 m hurdler. During high school, Justin was recruited for track by coaches Vince Anderson and Bill Webb who quickly realized his potential and turned him into a sprinter.[1] After training and competing in UT's program for two years under the guidance of former Tennessee assistant Vince Anderson, Gatlin won six consecutive NCAA titles. In the fall of 2002, Gatlin left Tennessee after his sophomore season to join the professional ranks. Just two years later, he won the gold medal in the 100 m (9.85 s) at the 2004 Summer Olympics, narrowly beating Francis Obikwelu of Portugal and the defending champion Maurice Greene. He also won a bronze medal in a USA sweep of the 200 m race, and a silver medal as a member of the 4 x 100 m relay squad. In the 2005 World Athletics Championships in Helsinki, he again triumphed over 2003 champion Kim Collins, capturing the gold medal in the 100 m.

Gatlin's Olympic 100 m final time is the third fastest in Olympic history, and his fastest recorded 200 m time of 19.86 seconds, although wind-aided, is the fastest mark for a junior (under 20) athlete.

In 2001, Gatlin was banned from international competition for two years after testing positive for amphetamines. Gatlin appealed on the grounds, that the positive test had been due to medication that he had been taking since his childhood, when he was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. The appeal resulted in an early reinstatement by the IAAF.[2]

On August 7, 2005, Gatlin clocked a 100 m time of 9.88 seconds to win the World Championship in Helsinki. Starting as a favorite and with world record holder Asafa Powell not competing due to injury, Gatlin beat his competitors by the widest margin ever seen at a men's World Championship 100 m to capture the Olympic-World Championship double.

Gatlin also won the 200 m in Helsinki, becoming the second person in athletics history to win both sprint distances during a single World Championship (the first was Maurice Greene during the 1999 championships in Seville and the third – Tyson Gay during the 2007 championships in Osaka). In the 200 m event, American athletes earned the top four places, the first time any country had done so in World Championship athletics history.

On May 12, 2006, Gatlin, running in the final of the IAAF Super Tour meeting in Doha, Qatar, equalled the 100 m world record of 9.77s(set in 2005 by Jamaica's Asafa Powell). It had originally been reported that he had beaten the record, with a time of 9.76 seconds +1.7m/s wind. However, the IAAF revealed on May 16 that his time had been 9.766 seconds, which was subsequently rounded up to 9.77, in line with regulations.[3] Shortly thereafter, with the track and field community itching for a Gatlin-Powell showdown, the two both appeared at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon. No agreement could be reached with the meet organizers, however, so the two competed in separate heats, but Gatlin won the event with a time of 9.88 seconds over Powell's 9.93 seconds. After the race, Gatlin commented that:

Gatlin pulled out of a meeting with Powell set for July 28, 2006 at the London Grand Prix.

Gatlin is currently living and training in Atlanta, GA. He is a regular competitor on Spike TV's show Pros vs Joes, which pits professional athletes against nonprofessionals.

On December 19, 2006 ESPN reported that Gatlin will work with Woodham High School's track team as a voluntary coach. He will help his old high school with "some workouts, sprint work, block work, where he sees something and can give encouragement."[4]

Doping case

On July 29, 2006 Justin Gatlin told the media that he had been informed by the USADA that he had given a positive doping test in April the same year. He did, however, claim his innocence in the matter: "I cannot account for these results, because I have never knowingly used any banned substance or authorized anyone to administer such a substance to me."[5]

It is believed that the substance that Gatlin has tested positive for was "testosterone or its precursor".[6] The failed test was revealed after a relay race on April 22, 2006 in Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.. The "B" sample was confirmed as positive in July.

Gatlin is coached by Trevor Graham. Among athletes Graham has coached, eight have tested positive or received bans for performance enhancing drugs.[7] After Gatlin's failed test, Graham stated in an interview that Gatlin had been sabotaged.[8] Specifically, he blamed massage therapist Christopher Whetstine, for rubbing a creme with testosterone onto Gatlin without his knowledge. The therapist denied this claim, saying: "Trevor Graham is not speaking on behalf of Justin Gatlin and the story about me is not true."[9]

On August 22, 2006 Gatlin agreed to an eight-year ban from track and field, avoiding a lifetime ban in exchange for his cooperation with the doping authorities, and because of the "exceptional circumstances" surrounding his first positive drug test.[10] However, on December 31, 2007, in the final ruling, Gatlin received a four-year ban from athletics. Furthermore, his 9.77 performance, set in May 2006, was annulled.

Possible NFL career

It was reported that Gatlin planned to serve his four-year ban from the track on a football field. Following the 2007 NFL Draft, he worked out with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, and Houston Texans in hopes of being a wide receiver.[11] On March 13, 2008 Gatlin performed at the Titans' NFL pro day. His numbers were as follows: 4.45 and 4.42 in the 40-yard dash. Had a 40 ½-inch vertical jump, 11-foot (3.4 m) long jump, 4.4 short shuttle and 7.36 cone drill and 12 reps in the bench press. The former Olympic sprinter did not get signed by any NFL teams.

On November 29, 2006 ESPN reported that Gatlin had worked out with the Houston Texans, although, he has little football experience and "has not played football since 10th grade".[12]

On May 4, 2007 The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced that Gatlin was one of 28 free agents taken to their 2007 rookie camp on tryout contracts, and was considered to be the most intriguing unsigned athlete in attendance. He tried out for the team as a wide receiver. He was unsuccessful though he stated that he believed that he had all the necessary skills and that the only reason he did not make the team was because coaches viewed him as a "Track guy."[13]

Return

On August 3, 2010 Gatlin made his return to the athletics circuit after the four-year doping ban with a tour of Estonia and Finland. He won the 100 m in Rakvere, recording 10.24 seconds.[14] At the Ergo World Challenge meeting in Tallinn he improved further with a win in 10.17 seconds. His coach, Loren Seagrave, acknowledged that the sprinter's starts were poor, but that Gatlin's finish to the race remained strong.[15] Running at the final meet of the Finnish Elite Games series in Joensuu, Gatlin won in the absence of injured Steve Mullings.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "USOC profile: Justin Gatlin". http://www.usoc.org/26_1324.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-24. 
  2. ↑ "The Best Ever World Juniors". http://www2.iaaf.org/news/newsletter/news57.pdf. Retrieved 2007-07-19. 
  3. ↑ "Gatlin’s time corrected to 9.77 – EQUALS 100 m World Record". http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=512/newsId=34686.html. Retrieved 2007-07-19. 
  4. ↑ "Gatlin will reportedly work with boys track team". http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/trackandfield/news/story?id=2702685&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines. Retrieved 2007-07-19. 
  5. ↑ "Gatlin admits failing drugs test". BBC News. July 29, 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/5227956.stm. Retrieved 2007-07-19. 
  6. ↑ "Sprinter Gatlin reveals failed drug test". http://www.tsn.ca/olympics/news_story/?ID=172737&hubname=. Retrieved 2007-07-19. 
  7. ↑ MacKay, Duncan (July 31, 2006). "Gatlin turns into the fastest falling hero in the world". The Guardian (London). http://sport.guardian.co.uk/athletics/story/0,,1833820,00.html. Retrieved 2007-07-24. 
  8. ↑ "Gatlin set up: coach". http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060731.DOPINGSIDE31/TPStory/TPSports/OtherSports/. Retrieved 2007-07-24. 
  9. ↑ "Gatlin masseur denies dope claim". BBC News. August 2, 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/5237562.stm. Retrieved 2007-07-24. 
  10. ↑ "Gatlin's arbitration hearing on doping ban set for July". http://sports.yahoo.com/sa/news?slug=ap-gatlin-doping&prov=ap&type=lgns. Retrieved 2007-07-24. 
  11. ↑ Olympic medalist Gatlin at Buccaneers minicamp
  12. ↑ "Gatlin, banned from track, works out for Texans". http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2679967. Retrieved 2007-07-19. 
  13. ↑ "Ready to Compete". http://www.buccaneers.com/news/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=5781. Retrieved 2007-07-19. 
  14. ↑ "Justin Gatlin returns after doping ban with 100m win". http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/8857336.stm. Retrieved 2010-08-03. 
  15. ↑ Gatlin continues comeback with second win. Reuters. Retrieved on 2010-08-09.
  16. ↑ Sonninen, A-P (2010-08-22). Spencer takes the Finnish Elite Games jackpot in Joensuu. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-08-24.

External links

Awards
Preceded by
No Award Given		 Men's Track & Field ESPY Award
2006		 Succeeded by
United States Jeremy Wariner
Olympic Champions in Men's 100 m

1896: Tom Burke (USA)  • 1900: Frank Jarvis (USA)  • 1904: Archie Hahn (USA)  • 1908: Reggie Walker (RSA)  • 1912: Ralph Craig (USA)  • 1920: Charlie Paddock (USA)  • 1924: Harold Abrahams (GBR)  • 1928: Percy Williams (CAN)  • 1932: Eddie Tolan (USA)  • 1936: Jesse Owens (USA)  • 1948: Harrison Dillard (USA)  • 1952: Lindy Remigino (USA)  • 1956: Bobby Joe Morrow (USA)  • 1960: Armin Hary (GER)  • 1964: Bob Hayes (USA)  • 1968: Jim Hines (USA)  • 1972: Valeri Borzov (URS)  • 1976: Hasely Crawford (TRI)  • 1980: Allan Wells (GBR)  • 1984: Carl Lewis (USA)  • 1988: Carl Lewis (USA)  • 1992: Linford Christie (GBR)  • 1996: Donovan Bailey (CAN)  • 2000: Maurice Greene (USA)  • 2004: Justin Gatlin (USA)  • 2008: Usain Bolt (JAM)
World Champions in Men's 100 m
1983 Carl Lewis · 1987 Carl Lewis · 1991 Carl Lewis · 1993 Linford Christie · 1995 Donovan Bailey · 1997 Maurice Greene · 1999 Maurice Greene · 2001 Maurice Greene · 2003 Kim Collins · 2005 Justin Gatlin · 2007 Tyson Gay · 2009 Usain Bolt
World Champions in Men's 200 m
1983 Calvin Smith · 1987 Calvin Smith · 1991 Michael Johnson · 1993 Frankie Fredericks · 1995 Michael Johnson · 1997 Ato Boldon · 1999 Maurice Greene · 2001 Konstantinos Kenteris · 2003 John Capel · 2005 Justin Gatlin · 2007 Tyson Gay · 2009 Usain Bolt
World Indoor Champions in Men's 60 m

 1985: Ben Johnson (CAN)  •  1987: Lee McRae (USA)  •  1989: Andrés Simón (CUB)  •  1991: Andre Cason (USA)  •  1993 – 1995: Bruny Surin (CAN)  •  1997: Charalambos Papadias (GRE)  •  1999: Maurice Greene (USA)  •  2001: Tim Harden (USA)  •  2003: Justin Gatlin (USA)  •  2004: Jason Gardener (GBR)  •  2006: Leonard Scott (USA)  •  2008: Olusoji Fasuba (NGR)  •  2010: Dwain Chambers (GBR)