By Yoon Chul
Jamaican sprinters Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell will undeniably draw the most attention on Aug. 28 when they compete in the men’s 100 meters during the IAAF World Championships in Daegu.
In the shadows, former Olympic gold medalist Justin Gatlin is another force to be reckoned with, and is well poised to steal the spotlight.
Gatlin, banned for four years after failing a drug test in 2006, is racing this year in his first world championship since the ban was lifted.
The 29-year-old American sprinter qualified for the worlds by finishing second with a time of 9.95 seconds — .01 seconds behind winner Walter Dix — in the 2011 USA Track and Field Championships.
The former victor in the world championships is America’s hope to speed past the Jamaican world-record holder. The strongest U.S. contender, Tyson Gay, withdrew from the championships with a hip injury.
Pulling up his time is a challenge. Gatlin will have to face as his recent record lags behind those of the Jamaican sprinters. In a contest where milliseconds can decide a race, Gatlin clocked in at 10.10 seconds into a headwind to win the 100 meters at Madrid, July 11.
Meanwhile, Bolt crossed the finish line at 9.88 seconds in Monaco last month and Powell set a season-best time of 9.78 seconds in Lausanne, June 30.
“I’m just taking it step by step, race by race, and every event I’ve been in has had good competition and that elevates me so I get to the world championships,” Gatlin said after the Madrid meet. “My goal is to get to that final. I’m staying focused, and it means a lot to me to reach them.”
Gatlin’s meteoritic rise began in 2004 when he won the gold medal, coming in at 9.85 seconds in the 100 meters at the Athens Summer Olympics.
He won the 100 and 200 meters at the worlds in Helsinki in 2005, where he posted a time of 9.88 seconds in the 100 meters.
On May 12, 2006, Gatlin equaled the then-world record of 9.77 seconds set by Powell in the IAAF Super Tour meeting in Doha.
Gatlin, however, agreed to an eight-year ban by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on Aug. 22, 2006. He managed to avoid a lifetime ban because of his “exceptional circumstances.” About a year later, Gatlin’s ban was reduced to four years, but his 9.77 time was erased from the record books.
He returned to competition Aug. 3, 2010, and won in Rakvere, Finland, with a time of 10.24 seconds. The American kept improving his record in 2010 but is still unable to complete his run in under 10 seconds.
When Gatlin was sentenced to the eight-year ban, most people said his life as a top sprinter was over. Having overcome such trials, the time has come to prove to those who aided his return that they made the right decision.