ATHLETICS: A masseur has denied he deliberately sabotaged Justin Gatlin by applying a mysterious cream to the world and Olympic champion on the day he tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug, writes Duncan Mackay.

Trevor Graham, Gatlin's coach, had claimed that Christopher Whetstine put the cream on the runner's body during a massage at the Kansas Relays in Lawrence on April 22nd.

But in a statement released by his lawyer Whetstine said: "Trevor Graham is not speaking on behalf of Justin Gatlin and the story about me is not true. I have fully co-operated with the investigation into this matter."

Whetstine formerly worked as Marion Jones's personal massage therapist. The triple Olympic gold medallist, who has been under investigation by the United States Anti-Doping Agency for three years but was never charged with anything illegal, trained under Graham from 1997 to 2002.

Graham had claimed Whetstine was upset because he thought Gatlin had been responsible for firing him this year before he was reinstated. But Gatlin's legal team had already distanced themselves from Graham's comments about his sample being sabotaged.

"Mr Whetstine vehemently denies having contact with any anabolic steroid or prohibited substance with any professional athlete or any person he has been affiliated with," his lawyer said.