Sprinter Justin Gatlin shot with BBs, or B-12, or what?
Forbes carries a new release on Justin Gatlin. Seems he was given a shot two weeks before he competed at a Kansas track event. Gatlin said he was told by an assistant to disgrace track coach Trevor Graham the shot was B-12. He was also handed some unknown pills for inflammation.
The top assistant to track coach Trevor Graham gave Justin Gatlin an injection, which he believed to be vitamin B12, two weeks before the world record-sharing sprinter tested positive for steroids.
After Randall Evans gave Gatlin the shot, the sprinter was given what he was told were anti-inflammatory pills as a follow-up, a person with knowledge of the case told The Associated Press on Monday.
Gatlin said Evans and Graham came to his house and told him the injection could help his troubled hamstring, said the person, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the case.
Gatlin answered questions about the injection and medication last week at an arbitration hearing to determine whether a possible eight-year ban should be reduced.
This could be an interesting development. Gatlin is faced with an 8 year track ban, secondary to a positive testosterone test at Kansas in 2006. However, if the sprinter were the victim of sabotage by his coach, that would be a different matter. Might Gatlin yet compete in the 2008 Olympics?
Gatlin's attorney John Collins confirmed Gatlin received an injection and pills. "But we have no reason to believe it was anything other than B12 and Voltaren," he said.
Voltaren is an nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug to ease Gatlin's pain. His pain may also be eased by BALCO-busting federal agent Jeff Novitzky, who appears to be on his team
"Agent Novitzky testified after reviewing all those calls that there was no evidence Justin ever knowingly received or used any prohibited substance from anyone," Collins said.
The sprinter also has continued to give anti-drug talks at local schools and other gatherings.
Gatlin, Collins said, wants to regain his reputation as much or more than he wants to compete in Beijing.
Who ever heard of B-12 shots for a muscle pull anyway? B-12 injections, unless one has pernicious anemia or a neuropathy, pops up as a relic of a few decades ago. The idea of an assistant coach giving an athlete shots, based on his own diagnosis is nauseating at least, and illegal at best or vice versa).
An athlete should know what drug or substance anyone injects into his body; no excuse for Gatlin there. However, it may be that these circumstances mitigate the sprinter's ban somewhat.
While I feel bad for Gatlin and love to think that everything he accomplished was clean and he never knowingly doped, for him to go to a coach with doping connections was naive at best. For him to then accept an unkown injection from Graham or an assistant is just stupid and Gatlin should be held responsible. I am a Gatlin fan, but would be disappointed in track and field if his suspension did not at least keep him away from one olympics.
Posted by: Tadeus | 08/07/2007 at 00:26
He didn't know! He's young and dumb... Thus, we should forgive his ignorance this time!
Posted by: | 08/15/2007 at 23:33
i would like to believe him, but in a sport of trying to get rid of drug abuse, what use will bringing gatlin back do. i am shocked that athletes at first are given only a two year ban! a top sprinters career lasts around 15 years max, whats two years to that?
Posted by: Dave | 09/04/2007 at 10:25
HAHAHA.. are we really supposed to believe this guy? What would you say if you were caught with steroids in your system? "It wasn't me! I didn't know what the shot going into my muscle had in it!" How many times have we heard that? Barry Bonds also did not know what the "cream" had in it... Why don't these babies take responsibilty and stop thinking people are so stupid to believe their lies.
Common sense- Justin Gatlin has failed a test in the past, meaning he has used steroids at least once... most likely more than once because he was only CAUGHT once. He gets caught again and faces a lifetime ban. Deny, deny, blame others! This is the way of the desperate man caught cheating.
Posted by: Jon | 09/08/2007 at 16:08
I'm a big Justin Gatlin fan. I've known him since 2001. At that time he was denied international competition because hei was taking an ADD medication. He had been taking it since he was 6 years old. That violation should have been thrown out immediately,thus making the Kansas Relays drug test his first violation. I personally know how hurt and upset he was in 2001 when he was not allowed to make the USA national team on the UK Junior Tour.I absolutely do not believe he would knowingly take ANY banned substance. I do however believe that it's very possible that Trevor Graham slipped him something without his knowledge.Like in a water bottle at practice or someting of that nature.
Posted by: Rod Staggs | 09/18/2007 at 14:50
Justin Gatlin just received an 8 year suspension-ie (lifetime). Shawn Merriman was suspended for 4 games, made the pro bowl,and currently has a Nike tv commercial. Something is really out of whack here!!!!!!
Posted by: Rod | 09/26/2007 at 20:03
I agree with you Rod. Merrimen also ended superstar Priest Holmes career with a vicious hit. Think he might have been juiced then?
Posted by: GRG | 09/27/2007 at 21:35