On February 11, Beijing time, American sprint superstar Justin Gatlin celebrated his 40th birthday, and he officially announced his retirement through a social platform. Gatlin wrote: "I want to be someone with an eye to the future and continue to provide a legacy of courage to those around me." I will spend a year putting my energy into a new career. ”
In the article, titled "Dear Athletics," the 2004 Athens Olympics men's 100m champion wrote: "I've always loved you. You gave me tears of sadness and joy, lessons that will never be forgotten. The torch is passed, but the love will never fade. Follow your instructions and get ready... Let's go! ”
Gatlin's retirement was already a precursor, as he tried to storm tickets for the Tokyo Olympics last year, but finished eighth in the men's 100m final due to a sudden injury at the U.S. domestic trials. At the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Gatlin won the men's 100m and 200m titles. At the 2017 World Championships in London, at Bolt's curtain call, Gatlin defeated his lifelong opponent for the first time and won the men's 100m title at the World Championships again.
Gatling is also the gold medalist in the men's 4X100m relay at the 2019 World Championships in Doha. But the media has been following his two previous doping scandals. In 2001, he was banned for the first time for taking Adderall containing amphetamines. Gatlin said he began using the drug to treat attention deficit disorder from an early age.
The U.S. arbitration panel in Gatlin's case ruled that Gatling was "certainly not a drug addict." A second positive test in 2006 found that his testosterone levels were too high. Gatling blamed the results on the deliberate sabotage of a therapist with whom he got into a financial dispute. Gatlin was banned for eight years for the crime, and his appeal was later reduced to four years.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Gatlin won the Silver Medal in the 100m at the age of 34 and the men's 100m title again at the World Championships in London the following year.
Gatling's advanced performance is a very shocking phenomenon in the history of athletics.
In the 2021 season, he is 39 years old, and the best time in 100 meters is 9.98 seconds.
In the 2020 season, his best time in the 100m season was 10.07 seconds.
In the 2019 season, when he was 37 years old, his best time in the 100 meters ran to 9.87 seconds.