The surprise defeat of Usain Bolt by Justin Gatlin last week in Rome put athletics in the news bulletins for a moment, but the result perhaps needs to be examined further with a much bigger story behind the scenes.
While every athlete and sports person is not invincible and Bolt’s training has been limited in the indoor season due to injury, if it was a defeat by anyone else, it may have gone under the radar.
The 2004 Olympic 100-metre champion Gatlin was handed a four-year ban after testing positive to testosterone in 2006.
As it was Gatlin’s second offense, he was lucky to escape with the four years and not a life ban, as per the usual procedure for second offenses as Ben Johnson can testify.
The IAAF mandatory bans for a first offense is two years and well within the ability of most athletes to return after such a time away from the track.
A serious injury can keep an athlete off the track for that amount of time and certainly is not a fait accompli that it is career ending, but for Gatlin, to return after four years was a surprise to many.
Now Gatlin has been given the benefit of the doubt as he has served his time and hence is allowed to compete openly on the world circuit.
However, the IAAF ban is only for competing so an athlete is still permitted to train while serving their time and are not subject to the random, out of competition, testing regimes that active athletes are.
The question could be posed to what is to stop any athlete continuing to train using all the same previous methods without any threat of being tested? The athlete, like Gatlin, need only cease any substance use when returning to competition.
It is speculative but even if Gatlin did not continue using performance enhancers while serving his ban, the physical gains he enjoyed from the substances, that being additional muscle mass and strength, could easily still be maintained through diet and training techniques.
So, in essence, when he returned to competition in 2012, it could be argued he was still enjoying the same fraudulent advantage.
With Bolt’s slow start to the season slump and Tyson Gay and Gatlin posting serious challenges it augers well for a fascinating lead up to the world championships in Moscow in August.
Jocelyn McLennan
Roar Guru
The ADHD medication you will find is emphatamine based...a stimulant...and banned
Frankie Hughes
Guest
Second time was cheating First time was his doctors fault There are ADHD meds that comply with USDA rules
White line
Guest
Frank, positive first time for medication...so what was going through his head the second time I wonder?
Frankie Hughes
Guest
ADHD is a mental health problem His doctor provided him the incorrect medication. How's that Gatlin's fault?
White line
Guest
Seriously? The guy is a serial cheat. He takes drugs - who cares what sort they are? You guys who defend him are deluded.
Frankie Hughes
Guest
During Gatlin's attempted NFL career, he was tested frequently. As for it being his second doping incident The first was for ADHD medication. Hardly performance enhancing
Jocelyn McLennan
Roar Guru
It was Gatlins second offence which usually results in the life ban. I am just surprised he hung aorund for four years and made a comeback. He did try to play NFL but failed badly....so I suppose if your future options are limited and all you know is running...
Jocelyn McLennan
Roar Guru
Yes Gatlin was tested druing his ban by the USDA but designated pre allocated time testting not random as they do for an active competing athlete...
Steele
Guest
To be suspicious is only natural, however he has served his time and isn't exactly in a minority group. Yohan Blake failed a test in 09, yet you never hear about that. Gatlin is actually quite the talent regardless of his indescretions and it is quite conceivable that he won on his own merits. You can't make him a scapegoat if you don't mention the many other athletes that have cheated.
Frankie Hughes
Guest
Gatlin was still being tested by the USDA whilst banned