I don’t understand why I’ve got such a bad rep
GATLIN HITS BACK OVER BOOS
JUSTIN GATLIN says he does not deserve his badboy status and insists his triumph over Usain Bolt in the final of the 100m is not a setback for the sport.
Boos rang out across the London Stadium on Saturday night as two-time drug cheat Gatlin, 35, won World Championship gold. They were repeated yesterday when ® he received his medal after a race where fellow American Christian Coleman was second with Bolt third in his final 100m.
Gatlin heaped praise on Bolt after the race, bowing down to him on the track and lauding him in interviews.
But sorry still seems to be the hardest word for the American sprinter.
Asked if he could understand why his victory was seen as an embarrassment for athletics, Gatlin said: “I really don’t need to understand.
“I can understand the rivalry I have with Usain, but it’s not a bitter rivalry.
“I respect the man and every time we come across the line I’ve shaken his hand, given him a hug and told him congratulations. That’s all that really matters for me.
“I’m just a runner, I’m back in the sport, I’ve done my time. I’ve come back, did community service, I talked to kids and inspired kids about the right path. That’s all I can do.
“Society does that for people who have made mistakes and I hope track and field can understand that too. That’s why I’m back and still running.”
IAAF president Lord Coe could not bring himself to praise Gatlin.
Script
“Sport rarely settles upon the perfect script. Life’s just not like that,” said Coe. “It’s not the worst result ever.
“I’m hardly going to sit here and tell you I’m eulogistic that somebody that has served two bans would walk off with one of our glittering prizes, but he is eligible to be here.”
He said that as head of the IAAF he would have to congratulate Gatlin if their paths crossed in London. “I will say, ‘Frankly’ – as Usain Bolt said to him – ‘you have worked hard for what you have achieved’,” added Coe.
“I think the journey to that point is not a comfortable one for me.”
Asked about his tarnished reputation, Gatlin said: “What do I do that makes me a bad boy? Do I talk bad about anybody? Do I give bad gestures? I don’t. I shake every athlete’s hand I congratulate them, tell them good luck. That doesn’t sound like a bad boy.”
Gatlin has no retirement plans and indicated the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 could be a goal, while Bolt will bow out after Saturday’s 4x100m relay.
The Jamaican said: “I think I lost to a great competitor and a young kid who is very talented with a great future.”
Of Gatlin, he said: “I always respected him as a competitor. He executed well, so he deserves to be here. He’s one of the best competitors I have faced.”