Controversial sprinter Justin Gatlin fired a World Championships warning shot, winning the 200m title at the US athletics championships in a blistering 19.57sec.
“I wanted to come out and make a statement, and that’s what I did,” Gatlin said yesterday after a career-best that improved on the season-leading 19.68 he set on the same Hayward Field track at the Eugene Diamond league meeting in May.
The 33-year-old, who completed a four-year doping ban in 2010, is now the fifth-fastest man of all time in the event, behind Usain Bolt — who holds the world record of 19.19 — Yohan Blake, Michael Johnson and Walter Dix.
With his dominance this season — he also owns the fastest 100m time of the year of 9.74sec — he has set the stage for a scintillating showdown with Bolt in both the 100m and 200m at the August 22-30 World Championships in Beijing.
Gatlin came off the turn well in front and powered home. “I know I had a great start, attacked coming off the turn and ran a great 150,” said Gatlin, who called it “the most complete technically 200 meter I ever ran.”