RALEIGH (North Carolina), June 21: A federal judge on Friday issued an order prohibiting athletics officials from preventing suspended Olympic 100 metres champion Justin Gatlin from competition, including next week’s US Olympic trials, until a hearing can be held on the issue.

Judge Lacey A. Collier set a hearing for Monday in Gatlin’s hometown on Pensacola, Florida, on Gatlin’s motion for a preliminary injunction against the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), USA Track & Field (USATF), the US Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

“They are each temporarily restrained from enforcing the current suspension from athletic competition against plaintiff Justin Gatlin or from otherwise using the suspension to prevent plaintiff from participating in the Olympic trials commencing June 27, 2008,” Collier wrote in the order.

The 26-year-old Gatlin has been suspended for four years for a 2006 doping violation.

—Reuters