Gatlin continues fine pre-world championship form with Monaco win

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Justin Gatlin celebrates as he wins the men’s 100m in Monaco. — AFP photo

Justin Gatlin celebrates as he wins the men’s 100m in Monaco. — AFP photo

MONACO: Controversial American Justin Gatlin scorched to his 27th successive win when he cruised to victory in the 100m in a meet record of 9.78 seconds at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco on Friday.

Gatlin, starting in lane number three, blasted out of the blocks at the Stade Louis II and streaked ahead of the field reduced to seven after 20-year-old US sensation Trayvon Bromell was disqualified for a false start.

Giving everything he had, Gatlin did not let up and raced through the line with clenched teeth in a time just 0.04sec off his own season best set in Doha in May.

“I rate this race as good as the other one this year,” said Gatlin, now unbeaten since August 2013.

“It was the first one this season run after a relay so I think without that I could have been faster.”

A third American, Tyson Gay, who has also served a doping ban, finished second in 9.97sec, ahead of Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut in 10.03sec.

“It was a good race for me,” said Gay, the 2007 double sprint world champion. “Let’s hope for a faster time in Beijing.”

Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt again sat out a trip to Monte Carlo, instead opting to race in the London Anniversary Games later this month having battled a pelvic injury.

The 33-year-old Gatlin, who has served two doping bans, has confirmed himself as favourite to take Bolt’s double sprint titles at the Beijing worlds should the towering Jamaican be slightly off form and fitness.

Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic 100m gold medallist and 2005 double world sprint champion before returning from a second ban (2006-10) to win the 2012 world 60m indoor title, Olympic bronze at the London Games and a world silver in Moscow a year later, has admitted to having benefited from his four years out of competitive sprinting.

The American had an earlier run-out in Monaco with the US 4x100m relay team also comprising Gay, Bromell and anchor Michael Rodgers, the quartet clocking an impressive 37.87sec.

Gatlin now returns to his Florida base in Orlando before meeting up with the US team in a training camp in Japan ahead of the worlds.

“I leave it up to my coach (Dennis Mitchell) on what we’ll work now with one month to the world championships,” he said. — AFP