Gatlin sacks coach over drugs claim
JUSTIN GATLIN, the 100 m world champion, yesterday sacked his coach over doping allegations made against him. A national newspaper said Gatlin’s coach Dennis Mitchell and the sports agent Robert Wagner had offered to supply performance-enhancing drugs to undercover reporters purporting to be making a film about an athlete – needing the drugs to help an actor get into shape.
Both men deny wrongdoing and Wagner has claimed he made up his comments to impress his audience.
He said: “It was just big talk. I didn’t actually source or supply the substances the reporters asked for but stupidly claimed I could. I apologise to Mr Gatlin, his management and family for saying completely false things about him and I apologise to other completely innocent athletes also wrongly implicated by my words.”
Gatlin, who won his World Championship sprint crown in London this year against a backdrop of jeers, having returned after two doping bans, said via Instagram: “I am not using and have not used performance-enhancing drugs. I was shocked and surprised to learn that my coach would have anything to do with even the appearance of these current accusations. I fired him as soon as I found out.
“All legal options are on the table as I will not allow others to lie about me like this.”
The Athletics Integrity Unit and the US Anti-Doping Agency have said they are investigating the allegations.