IAAF President Sebastian Coe said that Justin Gatlin "should have been banned for life after he was convicted of being a drugs cheat," according to Ben Rumsby of the London TELEGRAPH. Gatlin beat Usain Bolt in the Jamaican's final 100m race on Saturday. Coe blamed WADA and "legal systems worldwide for Gatlin being able to return to the sport after two doping violations." The World Championships "were still reeling on Sunday from Bolt's shock defeat." Denying it was "the worst result ever" for a sport beset by doping scandals, Coe nevertheless said, "I'm not eulogistic at the thought of somebody who has served two bans in our sport walking off with one of the biggest prizes our sport has to offer." Gatlin's first drugs ban in '01 "was halved from two years following an appeal that a positive test had been due to medication he had been taking since childhood," when he was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. His second suspension, after testing positive for testosterone in '06, "was originally eight years but was halved again on appeal because of the circumstances of the first case." Coe: "There have been two bans in the past. One got watered down, which made it very difficult for the second ban. The second ban, we went for an eight-year ban, which would have, in essence, been a life ban. We lost that" (TELEGRAPH, 8/6). The BBC reported Gatlin "was booed by the crowd at London Stadium as he celebrated, but was embraced by Bolt on the finish line." After the race, Jamaican PM Andrew Holness "admitted he would like to see athletes who fail drug tests receive life bans," saying, "It's the only way you're going to fully ensure that people don't cheat in the sport." In response, Coe said, "So would I and so would the majority of our sport. I'm not going to close the door on lifetime bans but we've constantly tried it and lost it" (BBC, 8/6). In London, Sean Ingle wrote Bolt "dismissed suggestions"
Gatlin's victory was "a disaster for athletics," and said the
American was one of the "best I have faced." Bolt: "For me, he
deserves to be here. He's done his time and he's worked hard to get back to
being one of the best athletes" (GUARDIAN, 8/6).
CENTER OF CONFUSION: In London, Ben Bloom reported the medal ceremony for Justin Gatlin's win was at the center of "confusion" after it "appeared to be moved in the timetable." According to the official London 2017 timetable printed on its website, the ceremony "was due to take place at 8pm, in the middle of the evening session and at a prime time for TV broadcasters." However, the IAAF on Sunday released its own timetable which had the ceremony due to start at 6:50pm, "prompting suggestions the event had been moved" to minimize embarrassment over Gatlin's defeat of Bolt (TELEGRAPH, 8/6).
TOUGH CROWD: In London, Ben Grounds reported Gatlin was "again booed by a large portion of the crowd at the London Stadium on Sunday" as he collected his gold medal. The two-time convicted drugs cheat "appeared visibly subdued during the medal ceremony" as he collected his gold from Coe, with Gatlin "jeered by many of those inside the stadium." The largest cheer "was reserved for Bolt, who finished in third place in his final individual race on Saturday night," with American Christian Coleman collecting his silver medal (DAILY MAIL, 8/6).
