Sprinters Carmelita Jeter of the USA and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica weren’t joking when they requested not to be asked questions about current doping cases in track and field at a press conference yesterday in Monaco, a day before today’s Herculis Diamond League meet in that city.
So when a reporter disregarded the press conference director’s ground rules and asked Fraser-Pryce about the atmosphere of the Jamaican camp as a result of recent positive doping tests by Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson, Jeter simply said “thank you”, put the microphone on the table and left. Fraser-Pryce followed seconds later as if she wasn’t surne of what was happening. And as she exited, the press conference director said: “I wanted to ask you something on the haircut.”
However, the walk-out left American sprinter Justin Gatlin, his compatriot high jumper Brigetta Barrett and Australian sprint hurdler Sally Pearson to answer questions.
“You have to make sure that you’re responsible for what’s going into your body and who’s around you,” said Gatlin, a former Olympic and World champion, who was suspended for four years after testing positive for a banned substance in 2006.
He further noted that he was not worried about the credibility of the sport, and that he didn’t really have any advice. “It’s just life; you got to deal with it,” he said. “You got to move forward. It’s not about what you say; it’s about what you do.”
In her response, Barrett said her heart and prayers went out to Gay and anybody else having to deal with the consequences of a positive test result. “I can only pray that they could deal with it with grace and that other people can treat them accordingly,” she said.
Fraser-Pryce and Jeter will clash today in the women’s 200m. They will be challenged by Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast and the US champion Kimberlyn Duncan.
Gatlin will contest the men’s 100m dash with Caribbean runners Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis and Jamaican sprinters Kemar Bailey-Cole and Nickel Ashmeade, who finished second and third, respectively, behind Usain Bolt at their national trials. But Gatlin, who is the only sprinter to beat Bolt, the six-time Olympic champion this season, sees himself as the No.1 sprinter in the world.
“I think I’m No.1 in the sprint right now, on paper. The World champion is out with a hamstring and I’ve beaten the previous World champion (Bolt), so I feel like I’m No.1. My mom thinks I’m No.1, anyway.