ATHLETICS: Justin Gatlin, the Olympic 100-metre champion and joint world-record holder, could discover as early as next week whether he will be banned for life after testing positive for drugs for the second time in his career. The American is due to have a hearing next Monday after admitting on Saturday he had tested positive for testosterone during a random test in April.
He has denied knowingly taking banned substances, and his coach, Trevor Graham, has claimed Gatlin's sample was sabotaged.
"I cannot account for these results, because I have never knowingly used any banned substance or authorised anyone else to administer such a substance to me," Gatlin said in a statement."It is simply not consistent with my character or my confidence in my God-given athletic ability to cheat in any way."
Because Gatlin also failed a drug test five years ago for a stimulant found in medication he had been taking since childhood for attention deficit disorder, he faces a lifetime ban if found guilty. His chances of escaping punishment are remote, because it has been established the testosterone for which he tested positive was artificially administered.
If the result is upheld, Gatlin would lose the world record of 9.77 seconds, which he equalled on May 12th. He would be the second athlete to be coached by Graham to be stripped of the record after Tim Montgomery last year.
"Someone has sabotaged my athlete," said Graham. "We know who, but Justin did not take any banned substances. He's got his own nutritional supplements that he goes out and buys. He will not trust anyone to take anything from him, not his parents, not his coach, not anyone."
Cameron Myler, Gatlin's lawyer, claimed Gatlin did not believe his drink had been spiked.
Graham, who was not returning calls last night, is being investigated over his links to the Balco scandal and Gatlin could now also be drawn in. The San Francisco Chronicle yesterday reported that in June 2003 the Balco founder and owner, Victor Conte, drafted a letter to the US Anti-Doping Agency and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) identifying Gatlin as one athlete Graham was doping with "oraltestosterone undeconoate".
The unsent correspondence forms part of the evidence gathered by the FBI.
The IAAF yesterday urged governments to work closely with the international federations to destroy the criminal elements it claimed were behind doping in sport.
Spokesman Nick Davies said the federation was "extremely disappointed and shocked" to learn of Gatlin's positive test.
The admission on Saturday came just two days after confirmation the Tour de France winner Floyd Landis had also tested positive for excessive amounts of the male hormone.
"These people are criminals and only the full force of the law will stop them," Davies said of those behind drug use in sport.
