Gatlin London return ‘unlikely’

EUROPEAN Indoor 60 metres champion Jason Gardener believes drug cheat Justin Gatlin is unlikely to compete at the 2012 London Olympics.

The 25-year-old American had a four-year suspension imposed on Tuesday which will bar him from defending his Olympic 100m title in Beijing this summer.

Gatlin, who tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone at the Kansas Relays in April 2006, initially had an eight-year ban handed down by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

A panel of arbitrators reached their decision to slash that punishment after he appealed against the USADA sentence, claiming the assistance he had given to the United States government in undercover operations against drug cheats should be reflected in his favour.

Now Gatlin, whose suspension is retrospective and open to a final appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, is ineligible to compete until May 24, 2010.

There have already been suggestions Gatlin will attempt to get his career back on track and seek to regain his Olympic title in London.

But Gardener, who raced against Gatlin on many occasions and in 2003 was beaten by the ‘Gatlin Gun’ for the World Indoor 60m gold medal, believes his former rival is now a spent force.

“I doubt whether he will be back,” said Gardener, an Olympic 4x100m gold medallist who retired after a distinguished career last summer.

“I definitely don’t think age will be on his side by the time London comes around and effectively, when he is allowed to race again, he will not have done so for four years.

“No matter how much training you do, that’s a long time not to have stepped on to a track.

“He’s also not now earning a living from the sport, so it is unlikely he can continue as a full-time athlete.”

Gardener acknowledges Gatlin’s four-year ban falls in line with the penalty being introduced by the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) from January 1 next year but still believes there should be tougher sanctions.

He said: “I was against the decision when suspensions were reduced from four to two years and quite honestly still believe drug cheats should be given life bans.

“Personally I equated a two-year ban to that of a serious injury or operation and I do believe some athletes will still have benefited on their return from the drugs they had been using.

“I’m a big fan that anyone who is caught should be banned for life. They would be no loss to the sport.”

Gardener speaks from the experience of losing vital races to drug offenders, notably former British number one Dwain Chambers.

The disgraced former European champion committed anti-doping violations over an 18-month period before being caught in August 2003.

Chambers, banned for using THG, that summer claimed victory ahead of Darren Campbell and Mark Lewis-Francis at the British world championship trials with Gardener pushed into fourth.

It proved costly for Gardener with his non-appearance at the Paris meet ultimately seeing him lose a lucrative contract with sponsors Asics.