Lovers of clean track and field will be cringing at Thursday night’s Diamond League meet in Lausanne when doping cheats Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay come face to face in what is sure to be an explosive 100-metre contest.
Stellar
Usain Bolt has pulled out of the 200m event in the Swiss city with a pelvis problem, although he said he intends to compete in next month’s world championships in Beijing.
In his absence, a stellar field of the world’s fastest men will meet, with Asafa Powell also featuring.
Bronze
Ironically, Gay’s doping infringement was touched upon at last weekend’s Diamond League meet in Paris, where the French men’s 4x100m relay quartet were handed bronze medals from the 2012 London Olympics as a result of the US being stripped of their silver medals by the International Olympic Committee.
Mike Rodgers, another US doping offender, will also line up on Thursday.
Control
“It’s just another race, the fourth since the season started,” said Gay, who finished second to Gatlin in his first race back from his ban in Lausanne last season.
“I have to run as much as I can before the world championships in Beijing. I’m back from suspension, I’ve worked a lot on my mind, to learn how to control my body.”
Best time
The 2004 Olympic champion, Gatlin, who came back to win Olympic bronze in London in 2012 and world silver in Moscow a year later, has the world’s best time this season, having run 9.74 seconds in the opening Diamond League meet in Doha.
ormer world record holder Powell, a four-time winner in Lausanne, has run the second fastest (9.81) this season and double 2007 world sprint champion Gay the third quickest (9.87).
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