2002 NCAA Championships Despite Legal Setback, Gatlin Looks Forward Note: From the TRACK PROFILE REPORT #28 (TPNS) - 30-May-2002 - Baton Rouge, LA, USA -- If the opening round of last night's 200 meters is an indication of things to come this weekend, Tennessee sprinter Justin Gatlin is well on his way to repeating his 100/200 sprint double from last year. Unchallenged, Gatlin blazed to a 19.98 opener, the fastest qualifying time by nearly three tenths of a second. And, he said, he was feeling a little tired from a late night the evening before. "I was just out visiting with relatives and friends, and before I knew it, it was 2 in the morning." He was tired going into the meet, he said, "so I had to concentrate a little more than I do at other meets to pull it off." Attention surrounding Gatlin has not been all positive lately, however, after being handed a two year ban by he USATF, track's domestic governing body, and the IAAF, the international governing organ, when trace amounts of adderol, a medication used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), were found in his urine. Adderol, an amphetamine, is not among the medications on the NCAA's list of banned substances, so, under NCAA rules, Gatlin is free to compete. While the ban, which stripped him of the US Junior 100, 200 and 110 meter hurdles titles he won last year, did weigh heavily on him last year, Gatlin said he has put it behind him. "This last year I've put it in the past. Last year I was a different person than I am now. I feel stronger, I feel healthier." Gatlin said he had taken the medication for more than a decade to treat his condition, but hasn't used it for more than a year and a half. "It's a childhood disorder that you can grow out of, and I think I've grown out of it." He says he physically and mentally feels better since ceasing with the medication, and has improved scholastically as well. "If anything the drug was a de-enhancer, not an enhancer," Gatlin explained, saying the effects made him concentrate so much on his race, that it actually made him tired. The Court of Arbitration for Sport agreed with Gatlin's assessment, ruling that his violation was inadvertent and supports early reinstatement for Gatlin. He acknowledged that having a suspension attached to his name brings a certain amount of pain, but shares no bitterness about the suspension, which will prevent him from competing in USATF or IAAF sanctioned competitions through 2003. "I knew the right thing to do was get the suspension. Obviously, they're going to reduce the sentence for me, because they know it was a different case than taking steroids or something to enhance my performance. So, they're (USATF) really on my side. I just broke the rules, which were the rules." His case is currently under appeal, and many insiders expect that the sentence imposed will be reduced. "It is hard," he says of the attached stigma that some still view with scepticism. "I cried like a baby last year." But he insists that that he's not letting the suspension bother him. "I just want to show everyone that I can do it, that I'm myself, and no matter what everybody thinks, I know that I'm pure, and what God gave me, that's what I use." Even with his success, Gatlin said he's not entertaining the notion of leaving Tennessee and going pro. "I promised (my mom) that I would get my degree, and that's what I'm going to do. As for myself, it's something to fall back on education-wise." The collegiate record is 19.75 by Joe DeLoach. Is that within reach this weekend? "If that's what it takes to get, then I'll go for it." Gatlin competes tonight in the opening round of the 100 meters.

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