Following the victory that triumphed American Justin Gatlin over former world champion athlete Usain Bolt, Willie Gatlin, father of the American champion has told fans to lay off his son after the 35-year-old was booed inside the London Stadium while accepting his 100 meters World Championships gold medal.
Gatlin, who has served two suspensions for doping offences, smeared Usain Bolt’s farewell on Saturday with his victory, beating the Jamaican sprinter in his final individual race.
“He is very strong and can deal with it. Only here. He only gets it here,’’ Willie Gatlin told the Times. “The people booing need to read the reports. He has never committed a crime. They need to go and look at what was said.’’
Willie spoke about Justin’s rehabilitation in the US. He said Justin had been fully rehabilitated in the U.S. and that he could be a role model for children.
“He gets invited into schools all the time and does lots of talks,’’ he added.
In 2001 Gatlin was banned for two years, after failing a dope test for amphetamines found in prescribed medication he had been taking since a child for Attention Deficit Disorder. His suspension was later reduced to one year on appeal.
In 2006, the American sprinter also tested positive for testosterone and was suspended for eight years, avoiding a lifetime ban in exchange for his cooperation with the doping authorities. The ban, however, was reduced to four years by an arbitration panel in 2007.
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