Justin confirmed his announcement in a social media post
US sprinter great Justin Gatlin has announced his retirement from athletics via social media. Justin confirmed his retirement in a post on Instagram titled “Dear Track.”
Justin won the 2004 Olympic gold medal and multiple world titles. The 40-year-old won the gold in 100m at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
“Through all my ups and downs, victories and losses, I have loved you track," Gatlin wrote in the post on his 40th birthday. "You gave me tears of sadness and of joy, lessons learned that will never be forgotten.
"I'm grateful for our relationship and the many others that I’ve had along the way. The torch is passed but the love will never fade. On your mark, get set ... Gone!"
Gatlin’s retirement had been expected for a long time. He attempted to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics last year but suffered a hamstring injury at the US trials in Eugene.
He completed a 100m and 200m sprint double at the World Championship in Helsinki in 2005, and also won 100m gold at the 2017 Worlds in London, scoring a rare victory over Jamaican icon Usain Bolt in the process.
He was also part of the USA’s gold-medal-winning 4x100m relay team at the Doha World Championship in 2019.
But Gatlin’s career also involved controversies. Gatlin's first drugs violation came in 2001 when he tested positive for an amphetamine contained in attention deficit disorder medication he had taken since his youth.
Talk of that suspension might eventually have faded or been downplayed until he failed a test for the banned steroid testosterone in 2006.
The American was banned for four years and many thought that would be the end of his career. But to the ire of many, Gatlin remained a force when he was eligible to run again in 2010.
Gatlin has never admitted to doping and continued to insist his 2006 test came from a massage therapist rubbing testosterone cream onto his legs, a contention the therapist has denied.
"Looking toward the future, I want to live a legacy that continues to inspire others," wrote Gatlin.
"Turning one year older and shifting my energies into new career endeavours, I hope to continue to inspire those who have supported me throughout my whole career."
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