Justin Gatlin wins on return to 100m
The American 2004 Olympic gold medalist Justin Gatlin returned to international athletics after a four-year doping ban on Tuesday.
His professional comeback took place in Rakvere, Estonia, where he ran at the Bigbank Kuldliiga meet in the 100m category. Gatlin won his qualifying heat in 10.34 seconds.
He then went on to beat countrymen J-Mee Samuels and Rubin Williams in the final, clocking 10.24 seconds.
Gatlin, who was banned from competing in April 2006 after a drug test found excessive levels of testosterone in his blood, expressed relief at having made a successful return to the sport.
"I felt good, I felt alive," Gatlin said to the press after the race, though he knows his performances can only improve.
"I'm a little disappointed in the time. I ran half the race just kind of cycling through it. But I think this a good comeback, to get my feet wet, and I hope going into the next races will be bigger and better."
Olympic and World Gold Medals
In the 2004 Olympic final in Athens, Gatlin won the gold by clocking 9.85 – nearly 0.4 seconds faster than the time he recorded on Tuesday.
The following year, Gatlin won both the 100 and 200m events at the World Championships in Helsinki.
To this day, he is one of only four sprinters to have won both events at the World Championships alongside Maurice Greene, Tyson g*y and current world record-holder Usain Bolt.
With his starting technique yet to be perfected, Gatlin and his new coach Loren Seagrave will be looking to trim his time in the coming months.
Eligible for London Olympics
They may find it difficult, however, to find athletics meets to host the sprinter.
The Euro Meetings Track and Field organisation has recommended that athletes who have served drug bans not be invited to compete at European meets.
However, Gatlin is eligible to represent the US in the London Olympics in 2012, so long as he qualifies for the games at the national trials two years from now.
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