Gatlin slams organisers before leaving Beijing

BEIJING (Reuters) - Controversial sprinter Justin Gatlin ran into a fresh row on Tuesday 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.

Gatlin slams organisers before leaving Beijing

(Reuters)





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 Wednesday's meeting despite slight injury concerns but was told he was not wanted.

However, organisers of the meeting in the Bird's Nest Stadium ignored repeated requests for a response to Gatlin's claims, leaving no obvious explanation as to why they would want him to leave a meeting where he was the star attraction.

Asked whether the sudden departure may have been linked to his controversial reputation or any fresh doping allegation, the sprinter'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, told reporters as he left for the airport to fly home to Florida that he was "upset" by the lack of respect shown to him.

Nehemiah said he had been told by organisers the sprinter would have to pay for all his team's travel and hotel costs, amounting to nearly $12,000, and would not receive his appearance fee.   

Former hurdling great Nehemiah added that he would be taking up the matter with the International Association of Athletics Federations. (IAAF). 

Gatlin, who had flown from Doha straight to Beijing on Saturday, 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.





HAPPY TO STAY

"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 at a meeting where he has starred before.   

"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," Gatlin said.

"They didn't have any respect for me so they said 'you better leave' and they kicked me out. It makes no sense."   

The sprinter, who has become a polarising figure in the sport after his drugs bans, was clearly bewildered and angry as he left for Beijing airport with his physiotherapist.

"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, or not finish it and then still ask for money.

"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.

"I'd have run 9.8, 9.7 seconds here. That's what I'm trained to do, to put on a great show."   

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."





(Reporting by Ian Chadband; Editing by John O'Brien)


Share

4 min read

Published

Updated

Source: Reuters


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world