Justin Gatlin: World champion again at last! What a fighter!

Many will have forgotten, but in fact Justin Gatlin has already been world champion in the 100 m, namely in the 100 m and 200 m at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, having previously secured the gold medal in the 100 m at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

by Rolf Fleckenstein

A hard time
Then in 2006 came the shock and the positive doping test for testosterone. What was unpleasant about the story was the fact that he had already tested positive in 2001 as a junior. He was threatened with a lifetime ban. In the end, a four-year ban from competition until July 2010 resulted, closing the doping case. But the booing of the audience at the 2017 World Championships in London showed that the public had not forgiven him, but there you have to classify only the public as unfair, because Gatlin had received his punishment and fined, even Usain Bolt commented on this. You don't have to punish an athlete who has made a mistake forever, that's inhumane!

Gatlin had made a unique comeback since 2010, taking silver or bronze behind Bolt at both the World Championships and the Olympics.

What a character man
What an incredibly strong person and unique fighter he is, he proved impressively at the World Championships 2017. The ravages of time had also gnawed at him, after all, he is 4 1/2 years older than Bolt and even Bolt had to pay tribute to his age, as he himself claimed. Now he had had to endure the humiliation and ignominy for his doping offenses all these years and always the whole audience against him also at the race of August 5, 2017. And he had to fight against the almost insurmountable dominance of a Usain Bolt. He had everyone and everything against him for years, but he never gave up and in the end he was rewarded for his perseverance and fighting spirit!

A thrilling race
The race started as expected, the young American Christian Coleman came out of the starting blocks the fastest and quickly gained an advantage. Close on his heels was Usain Bolt, who ran alongside the young American on the track. The Jamaican had no intention of being beaten in his last official race after his legendary winning streak. The outermost lane saw Gatlin, who had yet to get up to speed, but was able to keep up with the two. But as the race went on, Gatlin was able to turn it up and step by step he got Coleman, whom he was able to overtake in the last 20 meters. It seemed as if neither of the other two runners noticed, but in the end Gatlin clearly crossed the finish line first and cheered when Coleman still thought he was the winner. It wasn't until the scoreboard called Gatlin the winner that Coleman and Bolt also realized the true final result. Now it was finally done, after years of doping ban and years of Usain Bolt's dominance, he could deservedly win gold again.

This World Championship gold rightly goes to one of the most gifted sprinters of our time and a real winner who never gives up, even when the whole world is against him. You deserve this gold, Justin Gatlin, you are a real winner!