Should the crowd have booed Justin Gatlin?

THE athletics fans who booed Justin Gatlin after he won the 100m at the World Athletics Championships in London were not only being childish and unsporting, but also naive. They cheered a British distance athlete whose coach is under investigation by the U.S. anti-doping authority. The only difference between Justin Gatlin and a significant number of other athletes competing at the championships is that he got caught.

DAVID GIBBS, Prestbury, Cheshire. THE authorities need the guts and determination to take on the drugs issue. Bans for drugs cheats should be for a number of major championships, such as two Olympic games or world championships, not a short period of time. This would provide a strong incentive to stay clean. R. HAVENHAND, Nantwich, Cheshire. DID no one notice that Usain Bolt was also beaten by Christian Coleman, who is not a drugs cheat?

CYRIL ALLEN, Shillingstone, Dorset. THOUGH it seemed callous to boo Gatlin, it was understandable that many see this as a victory for drugs in sport rather than a man being able to run faster than their hero, Usain Bolt. We didn’t get the result we wanted and, indeed, what the sport needed. A drug cheat wearing the crown does little for the reputation of athletics.

S. T. VAUGHAN, Birmingham. MAIL sports reporter Matt Lawton lists seven men who have beaten Usain Bolt at 100m. Four have served bans for drugs: Asafa Powell (2013), Tyson Gay (2013), Yohan Blake (2009) and Justin Gatlin (2001 and 2006). They are only sorry when they have been caught. Cheats don’t prosper? Well, it certainly looks as if they do. Mrs JULIA SMITH, Maidstone, Kent.