Thread: Gatlin Fails Drugs Test! Possible Life Ban

Gatlin Admits Failed Test

Gatlin admits failing drugs test

Gatlin shares the world record with Asafa Powell at 9.77 seconds
World and Olympic 100 metres champion Justin Gatlin has admitted failing a drugs test in April.

The American was told the news by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

He said: "I have been informed that after a relay race I ran in Kansas City on 22 April, I tested positive for 'testosterone or its precursors'.

"I cannot account for these results, because I have never knowingly used any banned substance or authorised anyone to administer such a substance to me."

He added: "Since learning of the positive test, I have been doing everything in my power to find out what caused this to happen.

"I have been and will continue to cooperate fully with Usada as it moves forward with the process it has initiated and hope that when all the facts are revealed it will be determined that I have done nothing wrong."

Gatlin tested positive for an amphetamine at the 2001 US junior championships at the University of Tennessee.

A subsequent ban was overturned after it was discovered the illegal substances were part of the medication he had been taking for a decade to combat attention deficit disorder.

In his statement on Saturday, Gatlin added: "That experience made me even more vigilant to make certain that I do not come into contact with any banned substance for any reason whatsoever, because any additional anti-doping rule offence could mean a lifetime ban from the sport that I love.

"Since the positive test at the University of Tennessee, I have been involved with efforts to educate people about the dangers of using drugs and would never do anything to disappoint my fans and supporters.

"It is simply not consistent with either my character or my confidence in my God-given athletic ability to cheat in any way."

Wow.

Just.. Wow.

I'm a bit confused with the testosterone thing, If it is not a constant level in the body when does someone get busted for it. I am assuming there is some sort of range that it can't rise above without the testers proving an offence.

BTW your right Benet this is a massive story , I was hoping to see some races between Gatlin and Asafah Powell this year and that ain't going happen now.

he should have called Onterrio to borrow his whizzinator!!

Wonderful, another mark against the US, what's next??

"scottishvike" wrote:

I'm a bit confused with the testosterone thing, If it is not a constant level in the body when does someone get busted for it. I am assuming there is some sort of range that it can't rise above without the testers proving an offence.

BTW your right Benet this is a massive story , I was hoping to see some races between Gatlin and Asafah Powell this year and that ain't going happen now.

normal testostrone rates in a man are from 250-850 ml. I have heard that people who use trestostrone usually have a reading above 1400.

this crap is sooooooooooo stupid...........all I keep saying is why?

What's going to happen to these people's bodies that keep taking this crap?

Wow i cant believe it, first landis now gatlin. This makes the USA look like a bunch of cheaters plain and simple. Just imagine what people are saying of american athletes now :sad:

"Warp" wrote:

Wow i cant believe it, first landis now gatlin. This makes the USA look like a bunch of cheaters plain and simple. Just imagine what people are saying of american athletes now :sad:

Uh, that they're drug-using cheaters? :wink:

Gatlin Faces Prospect of Life Ban

World and Olympic 100m champion Justin Gatlin is facing a lifetime ban after confirmation that his B sample tested positive for testosterone.

The American announced on Saturday that he had failed a doping test in April.

And anti-doping chief Dick Pound and Gatlin's lawyer Cameron Myler told Five Live on Sunday that the 24-year-old's B sample also tested positive.

Gatlin will now wait to learn his fate before a United States Anti-Doping Agency hearing.

"The B sample is positive, they've gone through that whole exercise," World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) chairman Pound told Five Live.

"What remains now is for the appropriate penalty to be handed out by the US Anti-Doping Agency and that will be reviewed by the IAAF, and by Wada if we're not satisfied that the right result has been achieved."

Gatlin also tested positive for an amphetamine in 2001 and Pound confirmed that if the World Anti-Doping Code is properly applied the American faces a life ban.

"(Gatlin) needs to be banned for up to life," said Pound.

"There may be some extenuating circumstances but if he just continues some sort of bland denial that will not help him when it comes to sentencing.

"If he can find somebody who did in fact spike it that's for them to prove, but short of something like that he faces a very serious problem."

Gatlin's coach Trevor Graham has already said his athlete has been "sabotaged" and that he knows who is responsible.

But Pound said: "Bear in mind Trevor Graham is himself being investigated by the Grand Jury because a surprising number of his athletes have been found guilty of doping offences."

The Wada chairman said that Gatlin's positive drugs test is proof that doping is "rampant" in athletics.

"It's an indication that there is still rampant drug use going on," said Pound.

"And it's not just in the middle of the pack or at the back of the pack, it's the leaders."

The Wada chairman did concede that small steps are being made by the sport in the USA to tackle doping in athletics.

"There certainly was in the past quite a lot of sweeping under the carpet and it's been a bone of contention between me and USA Track & Field (USATF) for a number of years," he said.

"This time at least USATF has come out and said this is a problem we acknowledge that there's a (positive) test and it's a very serious matter, so I think that there's some evolution but there's a long way to go too."

Wow. And what's funny is his coach is coming out making all these accusations about an-as-of-yet-unnamed assailant who "sabotaged" Gatlin, but the coach is under investigation as part of the BALCO case.

See ya Justin. Just as well you didn't race alongside Asafa Powell, he'd have embarrassed you both on AND off the track.