Gatlin reflects on rise, fall, rise again
NEW YORK: The heaving, uncontrollable sobs have occurred twice for Justin Gatlin. Once, for a failed drug test in his prime that led to a stay in track’s version of purgatory. The other, over a .01-second slipup that he’ll never get over.
Say this much for the controversial sprinter: His life has certainly been filled with peaks and valleys, which he reveals in an hour-long documentary titled “Rise Again - The Justin Gatlin Story.”
Gatlin reflects on his ascent to the top, a fall from grace after a 2006 doping ban that left him so depressed he contemplated wrapping his car around a tree and a return to the spotlight to become Usain Bolt’s biggest adversary. Not to mention a race Gatlin would give anything to have back — the 100 meters at world championships in 2015, when he leaned too soon and Bolt beat him by .01 seconds.
“Life is fun. And it’s beautiful. But it’s cold. Cutthroat. Nasty,” Gatlin said in the opening sequence of a movie produced by Andrew Brereton and screened on Thursday in Gatlin’s hometown of Pensacola, Florida. “I’ve witnessed both.”
Gatlin’s purpose in making the film was simple: Show fans and detractors what makes him tick. “It’s a window into that kind of realm that no one has ever seen,” the 35-year-old Gatlin said in a phone interview. “A way for me to get that rawness out there.” Following two gold medals at the 2005 world championships, Gatlin tested positive for excessive testosterone at the Kansas Relays in 2006. His dad signed for the certified letter from the USADA and called his son. The father simply comforted him. After a long stretch of arbitration and court hearings, he received an eight-year ban that was later reduced to four.
During his exile, the 2004 Olympic 100-meter champion went through a wide range of emotions, including thoughts of suicide. He struggled to find work (he tried out for several NFL teams). He collected unemployment. His weight ballooned so much that when he did return, he was called “Dough Boy.”