Thus far in short distance athletics, American sprinter Justin Gatlin has been the star of 2015.
The 33-year-old has set the fastest times in both the 100 and 200 metres this year and looks primed to succeed at the World Championships in Beijing in August, where many expect him to beat Olympic champions Usain Bolt.
However, the fact that he was banned for four years for testing positive for a banned substance in 2006 has caused much disquiet regarding his current achievements.
Essential reading on Gatlin by @Scienceofsport http://t.co/QEsJp3y2bH
— Off The Ball (@offtheball) June 30, 2015
"Gatlin is fast becoming the pantomime villain of track, especially because he's in the most publicly watched event (the 100 metres) and he's taking on athletics' most recognised face in Usain Bolt and he's doing it as an unrepentant banned doper, returning at a time when he should be getting slower but is getting faster and faster," said Dr Ross Tucker of the Sports Science Institute of South Africa on Off The Ball tonight.
One of the points that has been highlighted vis a vis Gatlin is the fact that he is faster now at 33 than he was a decade ago, which is regarded as "unusual" within the sprint discipline as Tucker explained.
Justin Gatlin reacts after winning the 200-meter at the U.S. Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., Sunday, June 28, 2015. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)
However, one argument is that his athletic age is lower due to the four years he spent on the sidelines and Tucker addressed that, saying: "In the case of Gatlin, because he was away from the sport as a consequence of his doping ban, he is relatively younger than his chronological age would suggest so you would have to factor that in if you want to give someone the benefit of the doubt. But the sceptic in me says he's extended that by so long. I mean he is 11 years after winning the Olympic gold medal in Athens, he's come back and even with that two or three year hiatus from the sport, he's still doing something exceptional in being an outlier."
Tucker also discussed the study which suggests that previous steroid use can still have a long-term effect on the body, and looking at both sides of the argument, he said: "Many other athletes have come back from steroid bans and haven't continued to get faster and faster after they return. Gatlin again is an exception in that regard."
In terms of the damage done to the sport that Gatlin's success could cause, Tucker says it "undermines the credibility of anti-doping efforts" because there is "so little trust" within athletics.
Listen to the full interview via the podcast:
