World record holder’s future depends on fast-approaching hearings
Posted June 2nd, 2007 at 12:39 PM by Courtney Albon
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Drugs In Sports
The arbitration hearing for Olympic Gold Medalist and world record holder Justin Gatlin is scheduled for July 30-31 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Based on lab results received in April 2006 at the Kansas Relays, Gatlin tested positive for testosterone or its precursors, Gatlin faces a possible eight year suspension. Such a long suspension could potentially keep him from expanding his career as a sprinter as he will be 32 in 2014-end of the eight year term.
This is not the first time Gatlin has faced doping charges. In 2001, he tested positive for an amphetamine found in the medicine he was taking to treat Attention Deficit Disorder and was given a two year suspension by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF). His suspension was dropped after serving one of the two years after it was found that he had not intentionally taken the drugs.
Although Gatlin has denied knowingly taking the drugs, he has been very cooperative with officials thus far. Last August agreed to the accuracy of the 2006 lab results, which prompted the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to cap his suspension at eight years.
“All he’s acknowledging is a positive test. …He’s not saying he knowingly used drugs. When the facts and circumstances come to light, we hope the panel finds … he neither cheated nor intended to cheat,” said attorney John Collins.
Gatlin also helped the USADA conduct drug investigations in 2006 and may provide assistance to the Federal Government in their investigations of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative.
The results of the hearing could do more than suspend Gatlin. If he is not cleared by the arbitration panel, he would lose the world record he holds in the 100 meters with a time of 9.77.
Gatlin’s attorney has said that his primary focus is to get back on the track, however Gatlin has already tried out for several NFL teams including the Houston Texans. Texans Coach, Gary Kubiak was impressed with Gatlin’s speed and his skill level.
“I’m sure it would be a big step for him to step up and start playing football,” Kubiak said. “But that looks like it’s something that he’s interested in.”
But, all other pursuits hinge upon the results of the arbitration hearing. If Gatlin and his lawyers are able to provide enough evidence that this was an “exceptional circumstance”, his sentence may be reduced or even cleared.
“We are hoping the arbitration panel will look at the exceptional circumstances of his case and provide a penalty consistent with those exceptional circumstances,” Collins.
Research sources and for more information: [Reuters], [MSNBC], [USA Today]
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Tags: ADD, amphetamine, arbitration, attention deficit disorder, attorney, BALCO, ban, banned, doping, drugs, gary kubiak, government, houston texans, IAAF, John Collins, justin gatlin, NFL, performance enhancing drugs, sprinter, suspension, testosterone, texans, USADA
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