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| May 14, 2006 | Sunday | Rabi-us-Sani 15, 1427 |
Record isn’t going to change me, says Gatlin
DOHA, May 13: Justin Gatlin insisted that breaking the 100 metres world record would not change him at all and that the impact of doing so had yet to really hit him.
The 24-year-old American joined an elite group of athletes who have held the world, Olympic and world record after he ran a blistering 9.76 seconds on Friday breaking Jamaica's Asafa Powell's old mark of 9.77 seconds.
However Gatlin, who in 2001 tested positive for amphetamines and was hit with a two-year ban, reduced to one year after he appealed on the grounds he required treatment for attention deficit disorder, said he would not let the record go to his head and wanted instead to focus on lowering it even further.
“I don't know how much it's (life) going to change,” said Gatlin, who also won the 200m world crown last year.
“I'm just trying to stay focused on what I've got to do. I'm trying to go faster than that. I'm trying to go 9.74 or 9.73.”
Amazingly Gatlin, who is coached by Trevor Graham, the former handler of Marion Jones and the disgraced Tim Montgomery, said that the race had not been one of his better ones.
“The race really wasn't one of my best races that I can put down in my book, but if I can stay focused and not get the big head obviously, and not be content with what I just ran, than I can go out there and do it again. I am just going to be me.
“That's all I can do. Nothing has changed about me and I've never gotten the big head from this and I'm more shocked about it than anybody else.”
However while everyone around him was showering him with plaudits Gatlin admitted it was taking time to sink in.
“It hasn't hit me yet,” said the always unassuming Gatlin, who has come a long way from the time as a hyperactive child he used to dress as Batman and jump up and down on his parents bed.
World champion Bershawn Jackson of the US won the men's 400 hurdles in 48.65 ahead of Greek Periklis Iakovakis (49.82).
Virgilijus Alekna of Lithuania set a meet record in the men's discus with a throw of 69.47 metres.
Olympic champion Allyson Felix of the US won the women's 200 in 22.77 despite being hampered by a hamstring injury.
Compatriot Stephanie Durst, who earlier won the 100 in a wind-assisted 11.12, finished second.
World champion Perry Michelle of the US was disqualified in the women's 100 hurdles for failing to cross the ninth obstacle and pushing it down with her hands. The race was won by Jamaican Delloreen Ennis-London.
Russian Oksana Udmurtova leapt a year's best 7.02 metres to win the long jump ahead of Olympic champion Tatyana Lebedeva.
Leading results:
MEN’S:
100 metres: 1. Justin Gatlin (US) 9.76 seconds (world record); 2. Olusoji Fasuba (Nigeria) 9.84; 3. Shawn Crawford (US) 10.08.
200 metres: 1. Jaysuma Saidy (Gambia) 20.59 seconds; 2. Koura Kaba Fantoni (Italy) 20.69; 3. Sherwin Vries (South Africa) 20.69.
800 metres: 1. Mohamed Khalaf Al-Azimi (Kuwait) one minute 44.79 seconds; 2. Wilfred Bungei (Kenya) 1:44.85; 3. Mohammed Al-Salhi (Saudi Arabia) 1:45.15.
1500 metres: 1. Alex Kipchirchir (Kenya) three minutes 34.29 seconds; 2. Belal Mansoor Ali (Bahrain) 3:36.14; 3. Suleiman Simotwo (Kenya) 3:36.49.
3000 metres: 1. Isaac Songok (Kenya) seven minutes 28.97 minutes; 2. Augustine Choge (Kenya) 7:29.73; 3. Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) 7:30.47.
400-metre hurdles: 1. Bershawn Jackson (US) 48.65 seconds; 2. Periklis Iakovakis (Greece) 49.82; 3. James Carter (US) 50.27.
Triple jump: 1. Marian Oprea (Romania) 17.29 metres; 2. Jadel Gregorio (Brazil) 17.20; 3. Godfrey Mokoena (South Africa) 16.66.
Discus throw: 1. Virgilijus Alekna (Lithuania) 69.47 metres; 2. Zoltan Koevago (Hungary) 67.46; 3. Aleksander Tammert (Estonia) 63.98.
Javelin throw: 1. Andreas Thorkildssen (Norway) 90.13 metres; 2. Jan Zelezny (Czech Republic) 86.07; 3. Eriks Rags (Latvia) 85.79.
WOMEN’S:
100 metres: 1. Stephanie Durst (US) 11.12 seconds; 2. Lauryn Williams (US) 11.18; 3. Lolo Jones (US) 11.25.
200 metres: 1. Allyson Felix (US) 22.77 seconds; 2. Stephanie Durst (US) 22.81; 3. Fabienne Feraez (Benin) 23.20.
1500 metres: 1. Meseret Defar (Ethiopia) four minutes 06.11 seconds; 2. Veronica Nyaruai Wanjiru (Kenya) 4:08.21; 3. Mestawet Tadesse (Ethiopia) 4:10.03.
100-metre hurdles: 1. Delloreen Ennis-London (Jamaica) 12.74 seconds; 2. Lolo Jones (US) 12.80; 3. Adrianna Lamalle (France) 12.96.
3000-metre steeplechase: 1. Jeruto Kiptum (Kenya) nine minutes 35.65 seconds; 2. Donna MacFarlane (Australia) 9:39.36; 3. Salome Chepchumba (Kenya) 9:40.49.
High jump: 1. Kajsa Bergqvist (Sweden) 1.97 metres; 2. Blanka Vlasic (Croatia) 1.97; 3. Tia Hellebaut (Belgium) 1.93
Long Jump: 1. Oksana Udmurtova (Russia) 7.02 metres; 2. Tatyana Lebedeva (Russia) 6.97; 3. Bronwyn Thompson (Australia) 6.76.
Pole vault: 1. Anna Rogowska (Poland) 4.63 metres; 2. Joanna Piwowarska (Poland) 4.53; 3. Natalya Kushch (Ukraine) 4.43.—Agencies
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