World Championship Champion
On the participant list, Gatlin's name unexpectedly appeared! Besides Gatlin, Shawn Crawford was also on the 100 meters list, and another U.S. competitor for the 100 meters was Leonard Scott.
"Gatlin? Why is he here?" Zhang Guan asked. The recent major doping scandal in the U.S. was triggered by Gatlin's positive test for banned substances. As a result, Gatlin had missed all competitions after the IAAF Osaka Grand Prix. Although the IAAF's final verdict had not been issued, Gatlin was clearly still in trouble.
"Surprised, aren't you?" Director Ma continued, "Gatlin was previously caught using banned substances, so in this doping scandal, he faces the highest possible penalty of a lifetime ban. That's why he has always denied using performance-enhancing drugs, even going so far as to hire a private detective to investigate if someone set him up. Recently, however, he has cooperated with the IAAF Anti-Doping Committee's testing."
"Did they find anything?" Zhang Guan asked.
Director Ma nodded, "Yes, they did. However, Gatlin argued that he has had ADHD since childhood, which has caused mental health issues, requiring occasional medication that contains some banned substances. This, he claimed, was why he tested positive. He even provided medical proof and a doctor's prescription as evidence to the IAAF Anti-Doping Committee."
"Medical proof and a prescription—those could be obtained now if needed," Zhang Guan asked curiously. "Did the Anti-Doping Committee accept Gatlin's evidence?"
"The Anti-Doping Committee isn't foolish! But procedurally, since Gatlin submitted evidence, they have to review it," Director Ma pondered for a moment before continuing, "The committee couldn't prove Gatlin falsified his medical proof, so based on the current situation, it's unlikely that the IAAF will impose a lifetime ban on him. However, they probably won't declare him innocent either. The most likely outcome is a compromise, possibly a ban of five to ten years."
"That's so long! Five years is somewhat manageable, but ten years is nearly like a lifetime ban," Zhang Guan remarked.
Gatlin is 23 years old, the prime age for a sprinter. If he is banned for ten years, he will be 33 by the time the ban ends, an age at which most sprinters retire.
"Even with a ten-year ban, it's unlikely he would serve the full term. Gatlin could apply for a reduction in the ban during his suspension. By regularly undergoing tests and not testing positive for banned substances over several months, he could reduce the ban. So if he is banned for ten years, it might be reduced to six or seven years. A five-year ban might be cut to three years, potentially allowing him to compete in the next Olympics," Director Ma explained.
Zhang Guan thought for a moment and said, "So Gatlin hopes for the shortest possible ban from the IAAF. That's why he's participating in the World Championships? He wants to prove that the previous doping wasn't for performance enhancement but for medical treatment."
"Exactly. By now, the banned substances should have been metabolized and excreted from his body. If he can perform well without those substances, it would signal to the world that his natural ability is enough to achieve great speeds, proving that the banned substances were for medical treatment," Director Ma said.
"Such cunning people!" Zhang Guan laughed.
Director Ma ignored Zhang Guan's joke and, in a slightly warning tone, said, "Even at the highest level of competitive sports, things aren't always clean. In competitive sports, results are everything, so many athletes and coaches succumb to temptation. Zhang Guan, you are young with limitless potential. In the face of major decisions, you must stay true to yourself. Don't make a mistake you'll regret forever."
Zhang Guan understood Director Ma's concern and quickly said, "Don't worry, Director Ma. I will never touch doping in my lifetime!"
This year's World Championships in Athletics was held at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. Built in 1927, it was a stronghold for Finns against Soviet attacks during World War II, withstanding sixteen Soviet bombs. It hosted the 1952 Olympics and the first World Championships in Athletics, making it a historic stadium in Europe.
On August 6, the tenth World Championships in Athletics officially began, with the 100 meters preliminaries and semifinals held on the first day. Many of the participants in the preliminaries and semifinals were second or third-tier athletes, so Zhang Guan easily advanced to the next day's competition.
The next day, Zhang Guan again advanced easily in the semifinals, and the men's 100 meters final was held that evening.
American sprinter Gatlin also made it to the final, while the other two American competitors, Crawford was eliminated in the semifinals, and the young Leonard Scott advanced to the final.
Other finalists included European champion Obikwelu, Jamaica's Dwight Thomas and Michael Frater, Ghana's Aziz Zakari, and a Nigerian athlete unfamiliar to Zhang Guan. Except for the young American Leonard Scott and the Nigerian competitor, Zhang Guan had faced all the other finalists before.
Though Powell did not compete due to injury, he was present as a guest commentator for the official broadcast. Powell had stayed in Germany to recover, as Germany has the best sports rehabilitation facilities. Many American sports stars choose to recover in Germany, and Powell did the same.
Jamaicans are generally expressive, and Powell was no exception. Sitting in the commentary booth, he spoke as if giving a speech, with the other commentator struggling to get a word in.
"Gatlin seems to be in great shape recently. He mentioned in a pre-race interview that his goal is 9.78 seconds this time. It looks like he's aiming for the gold!" the commentator said.
"I don't think Gatlin can run under 9.80 seconds. As for winning, as long as Zhang Guan is there, Gatlin can't win, even if he runs 9.78 seconds," Powell quickly doused the enthusiasm.
"Why do you think so, Asafa?" the commentator asked.
"I know Zhang Guan. I've raced against him many times, and even I can't beat him. How could Gatlin?" Powell replied. "I predict that Zhang Guan will take the lead around 60 meters and maintain it until the finish."
The commentator nodded, "Indeed, Zhang Guan broke the world record twice last month. He's in great form and might even set a new world record today. Oh, the race is about to start. Let's join the competition."
On the track, Gatlin glanced at Zhang Guan in the distance. To minimize his suspension, Gatlin naturally hoped to run as fast as possible. If he could beat the world record holder, Zhang Guan, that would be even better.
At the sound of the gun, Gatlin shot forward, quickly finding his rhythm.
Gatlin felt great today, estimating he could run 9.85 seconds, a time that would give him a good chance of winning in any race.
"I'm in great shape today, just like at last year's Olympics. I have a chance to win! Winning the 100 meters and then the 200 meters will help reduce my suspension. Five years is too long. If it could be within two years or, ideally, just a period of monitoring, that would be much better!" Gatlin thought, feeling a sense of anticipation.
Under a monitoring period, athletes must regularly undergo drug tests and report their whereabouts to the IOC. While inconvenient and a loss of privacy, it is far better than being banned.
After 30 meters, Gatlin's speed advantage began to show, and the gap between athletes became more apparent.
At 50 meters, the leading athletes were clear. Besides Gatlin, there were Zhang Guan, Obikwelu, and the Nigerian athlete.
Gatlin didn't pay much attention to Obikwelu and the Nigerian. He focused on Zhang Guan, his goal being to beat him.
At 70 meters, Gatlin and Zhang Guan were neck and neck, while Obikwelu and the Nigerian had fallen behind. The race became a duel between Zhang Guan and Gatlin.
"Zhang Guan! Go! Gatlin is fast! They are neck and neck! Zhang Guan! Zhang Guan! Go... he's overtaking! He's overtaking! He's overtaken!" the TV commentator shouted.
On the track, Zhang Guan was overtaking Gatlin.
Zhang Guan remained calm, analyzing Gatlin.
"Gatlin now seems stronger than Powell. Compared to Powell, Gatlin is more powerful in the last 50 meters. Such a talented athlete, and he used performance-enhancing drugs. What a waste!" Zhang Guan thought, feeling a bit sorry for Gatlin, but his pace quickened.
In less than a second, Zhang Guan had overtaken Gatlin completely.
"He's getting faster! He can still go faster!" Gatlin's eyes reflected Zhang Guan's figure, realizing Zhang Guan hadn't been running at full speed.
"Is there that much of a gap between us?" Gatlin knew he couldn't win this race.
With 20 meters to go, Zhang Guan overtook Gatlin. For a 100-meter sprinter, the last 20 meters takes less than two seconds. In just over a second, Zhang Guan crossed the finish line first.
"Zhang Guan! He's crossed the line! Champion! 9.80 seconds! Perfect! A perfect performance! Congratulations to Zhang Guan. He has won the men's 100 meters at the World Championships! This is also the first gold medal and the first medal for our national team at this World Championships!" The commentator looked at his prepared notes and continued, "Since our athletes first participated in the World Championships in 1983, we have won a total of seven gold medals in nine events. Today, Zhang Guan has won our eighth gold medal in World Championships history and our first in the 21st century!"
The broadcast finally focused on Gatlin, who finished second with a time of 9.84 seconds, similar to his performance at the Athens Olympics. Although he didn't win, it proved he could still compete at the world's top level without performance-enhancing drugs.
The third place was not the European champion Obikwelu but the Nigerian athlete, Olusoji Fasuba, who overtook Obikwelu at the last moment to take third.
A few days later, in the men's 200 meters, Gatlin defeated his compatriots Shawn Crawford and Tyson Gay to win a gold medal. Shortly after, the IAAF announced Gatlin's punishment: a five-year ban.
On August 19, Zhang Guan and Liu Feiren appeared together again at the IAAF Golden League Zurich meet. Zhang Guan won another gold medal, while Liu Feiren again failed to win, finishing second.
After this event, Liu Feiren decided to withdraw from the remaining IAAF Golden League meets to focus on preparing for the Asian Athletics Championships.
Zhang Guan stayed in Europe to compete in the last two Golden League meets.
At this Golden League meet, France's female sprinter Arron only finished fourth, eliminating her from the million-dollar jackpot contention.
Zhang Guan skipped the IAAF Super Grand Prix in Sheffield, which was just a day after the Zurich meet, making the schedule too tight. He also skipped the Austrian Grand Prix, opting to arrive early in Brussels, Belgium, to prepare for the IAAF Golden League Brussels meet on August 26.
With a week to acclimate and recover, Zhang Guan easily won the Brussels Golden League meet. Having won five of the six Golden League events, he was just one step away from the million-dollar jackpot.
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