Beijing organisers didn’t have any respect for me, says Gatlin
BEIJING: Controversial sprinter Justin Gatlin ran into a fresh row yesterday when he flew home on the eve of the Beijing World Challenge meeting, angrily claiming organisers had told him they did not want him to compete.
The American, who has served two doping bans but is currently the world’s fastest man, said he had planned to headline the 100 metres event at today’s meeting despite slight injury concerns but was told he was not wanted.
Asked whether the sudden departure may have been linked to his controversial reputation or any fresh doping allegation, he’s manager Renaldo Nehemiah said: “No, it has nothing to do with that. No, this is because they think he is injured and they don’t want him here if he’s injured.”
Gatlin, who had ran the fastest 100 metres of his life and the quickest in the world this year at 9.74 seconds in Doha on Friday, that he was “upset” by the lack of respect shown to him.
He said he had initially told organisers that he had suffered cramping in a tight hamstring and dehydration following the flight and was not sure about his fitness to compete.
“I’m upset. I’m the kind of guy who, regardless of whether you think I’m a good or a bad guy, I go off respect and I had enough respect to tell the organisers as soon as I arrived how I felt going into this race,” he said.
Yet after coming through a training session on Monday, he felt confident he would be fit to compete.
“I was happy to stay. I’m fit and ready to run. I was cramping a lot after the fastest my body has ever run. They didn’t have any respect for me so they said ‘you better leave’ and they kicked me out. It makes no sense. I thought I was competing. I ran the fastest time by anyone since 2012 in Doha and my body was a little whacked. I had respect for the organisers telling them that I felt dehydrated but they didn’t have any respect for me,” he added.
“It’s crazy. I have no idea what they were thinking. I think they thought I wasn’t man enough and I might pull up in the race. But I’m not a man like that. I’m not the kind of guy to cheat people of their money or let the fans down... that’s not what I do.”
Gatlin promised he would be back to compete in Prefontaine Classic meeting in Eugene on May 30, declaring: “I’m going to drop a bomb out there.”
Nehemiah added that he would be taking up the matter with the International Association of Athletics Federation– Reuters