Gatlin beaten in Nairobi 100m, puts retirement on hold

NAIROBI, Kenya (AFP) — The 2004 Olympic champion Justin Gatlin put
retirement on hold despite having to settle for third in Saturday’s season-closing
100m at the World Athletics continental tour meet in Nairobi.
The 39-year-old American, who has twice been banned for doping, failed to
qualify for this year’s Tokyo Games and was hoping to make amends in Kenya.
But he could not match fellow American Trayvon Bromell and the new Kenyan
sprint sensation Ferdinand Omanyala in the finish.
“I came from an injury with the hope of getting a win here,” said Gatlin, adding he
will take a long break to decide his future.
“Hopefully, let’s wait and see what’s in store for the new season,” he added when
asked if he planned to hang up his spikes.
Bromell, who already had the world’s fastest 100m in the bag this year, bettered
his own mark with a 9.76-second run while Omanyala returned 9.77, the time
Bromell had run in April.
For many of the athletes competing Nairobi was a climax to a long, drawn-out
season which included the Olympics and the Diamond League after numerous
events were cancelled in 2020 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Namibian sprint sensation Christine Mboma overcame four false starts to win her
seventh 200m race since Tokyo, where she was forced to switch to the shorter
distance after being ruled ineligible to compete in the 400m due to increased
levels of testosterone.
After a slow start, the Olympic silver medallist stepped up a gear in the 50 metres
to breeze past Ivorian Marie Josee Ta Lou and to claim victory in 22.40.
Mboma said she still has to perfect her technique to become more competitive.
“I am not perfect yet in the 200m,” said Mboma. “I am still working at it and hope
to be good in the next year.”

American Fred Kerley won the men’s 200m in a personal best 19.76, leading
second-placed Isaac Makwala of Botswana (20.06) to make the qualifying time
for next year’s World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
“It’s been a long season, but it has had so much blessings for me that after
winning the 100m silver medal in the Olympics, I went on to take the Diamond
League,” said Kerley