BEIJING: Justin Gatlin may have flown home but at least the Bird’s Nest Stadium could thrill instead to another 33-year-old American speedster, David Oliver, running the fastest 110 metres hurdles this year at Beijing’s World Challenge meeting on Wednesday.
Gatlin’s fall-out with the organisers had led to him departing on the eve of the meeting in a huff but the smiling world champion Oliver proved a popular top of the bill with his second win in China in four days.
Oliver clocked a world-leading 13.15sec to record a much more clear-cut victory than in Sunday’s Diamond League meeting in Shanghai, when he pipped Orlando Ortega by just 0.02sec. This time, the margin over the Cuban runner-up was 0.22sec.
“That’s cool man, I’m very happy to be a star here. Everybody loves me here and it feels good to give a performance to the crowd,” Oliver told reporters after being feted by 35,000 fans.
Oliver reckoned he had run poorly but was adamant the only thing that mattered was getting it right 98 days from now in the heats of the world championships in the same stadium when he starts the defence of his title.
Ironically, it could have been Oliver’s own experience last year at this same Beijing meeting that may have caused the problem this year with Gatlin.
In 2014, Oliver had pulled out on the day of his race with injury and the speculation was that organisers had asked Gatlin to leave because they feared a similar late withdrawal because he had his own minor injury concerns.
The drug-tainted Gatlin, who ran the year’s fastest 100m of 9.74 on Friday in Doha, claimed he had been expelled by organisers who believed he was carrying an injury.
But Beijing meet officials said they were “perplexed” by Gatlin after he said he had been treated disrespectfully.
“[Gatlin’s manager Renaldo] Nehemiah did not communicate with us before he announced Gatlin’s withdrawal at yesterday’s news conference,” said organising committee deputy director Liu Jie, according to Xinhua news agency.
He added: “And we never got to speak with Gatlin in person.”
Gatlin, who served a four-year doping ban until 2010, tried to play down the incident, blaming high emotions for his strong comments to media.
“Emotional day. All is fine with Beijing org & me,” he tweeted. “We have a great relationship and I look forward to being there in Aug for worlds & next year for the meet.”
Gatlin had told reporters he wanted to run despite suffering cramps after arriving from Doha, where he ran his personal best at the age of 33.
The time threw down the gauntlet to Jamaican star Usain Bolt before both men are expected to face each other in Beijing at the world championships in August.
American Marvin Bracy won the men’s 100m in 9.95, in the absence of Gatlin.
Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown celebrated a return to the scene of her second Olympic 200 metres triumph by dominating the half-lap event.
The seven-times Olympic medalist turned 33 last week but still believes she can run faster than ever after being cleared of a doping offence last year by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. She was in a different league to modest opposition, enjoying three metres to spare over American Kaylin Whitney when winning in 22.68sec.
There was an encouraging comeback from Olympic high jump champion Anna Chicherova, who missed the end of last season with an injury to her right ankle.
The Russian, deprived of the chance of competing in the European Championships, won with a final attempt clearance at 1.94 metres, before failing in her bid to top two metres.
Elsewhere, Kenya’s Alfred Kipketer won the men’s 800m in 1:45.45, and his fellow countryman Jonathan Muia Ndiku took out the steeplechase.
America’s Mike Hartfield leapt 8.27m to win long jump gold, ahead of compatriot Jeff Henderson and Russian world champion Aleksandr Menkov.
And there was success for hosts China when Wu Shujiao won the women’s 100m hurdles, Xue Changrui claimed the men’s pole vault and Zhang Guowei was the men’s high jump winner.
Published in Dawn, May 21th, 2015
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