Justin Gatlin has reflected on his second doping ban back in 2006, and the level of hate he had to endure clawing his way back to the top on return to the sport in 2010.
American sprint legend Justin Gatlin has given fresh details over his ill-famous doping ban back in 2006, and the difficulties he experienced working his way back to the top.
As he began his career, it never occurred to him that at any point, tables would turn and he would become one of the most hated sprinters in the world.
His received his first doping ban at a very young age while still in college, but it was the second ban in 2006 that really created a large rift with the watching world.
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He had just won the Olympic title at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and he had also won a double, the 100m and 200m at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki and was loved by fans due to that. His world turned around a year later when it was announced that he had tested positive for testosterone or its precursor.
After a series of back and fourths, Gatlin was given a four-year ban and it was never an easy journey for him. He admitted to being diagnosed with depression since track and field was his life and now, he had nothing to necessarily do for four years.
“For the four years I was out, it turned me into a man, it grew me. I went through depression and was out drinking every night and I had so many situations where my name was marred with people just taking shots at me,” Justin Gatlin said in an interview on the Run Your Race podcast.
After coming back into the sport, things were difficult for him and making money was tough and people never believed in any race he won. He was always secluded and some promoters even allowed him to run but warned that there would be no payments even if he won the race.
“Social media wasn’t a big thing but I could not go anywhere because I was labelled a drug cheat and even the articles could not acknowledge my gold medal, they just called me a two-time drug cheat.
“Those four years were hard but the two years after were harder because I was also black. I was back in the sport but not making money. I was flying to those little meets and not even making enough money to get a ticket back home.
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The Jamaican sprint queen disclosed that she was not angry after missing the 200m world record in 2023 despite her facial expressions.
“That was an issue for the rest of my career and some promoters of the Diamond Leagues would say they didn’t want me in their races and some would allow me to run but would not pay me. People still hated on me up to the point of my retirement.”
Following his ban as a young athlete, Justin Gatlin disclosed that he never understood how those things worked and it was one of the most devastating phases of his life.
Gatlin had tested positive for amphetamines but he appealed, noting that he had been on medication for attention deficit disorder for the longest time.
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Decision to hang up spikes after becoming the first man to win three consecutive 100m and 200m Olympic gold medals backfired
“When I got to college I was a student first then an athlete and then when I stepped into the real world of Team USA and the World Athletics, there were certain things that were banned. Aderall wasn’t on the list when I was a kid but during my freshman year in college, I was banned from any pro races,” Gatlin revealed.
“I was devastated because I was a good guy and I loved track more than I loved my mind. I went into my sophomore year and after that year, I received a letter that said my ban had been lifted and was allowed to go professional. I tested positive again in 2006 and it was because of the negligence of a therapist I was working with at the time.”
