World 100 metres champion Justin Gatlin said on Tuesday he was “shocked and surprised” at doping allegations made against his coach Dennis Mitchell, like Gatlin a convicted doper, but added that he had sacked him as soon as he heard about the issue.
Britain’s Daily Telegraph set up a sting where they claim Mitchell, the American former medal-winning sprinter who was previously banned for doping, and sports agent Robert Wagner had offered to supply performance-enhancing drugs to undercover reporters claiming to be making a movie featuring a doped athlete.
Gatlin, 35, who won the world title in London this year against a backdrop of jeering relating to his two doping bans, issued a statement via Instagram where he said: “I am not using and have not used PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs.
“I was shocked and surprised to learn that my coach would have anything to do with even the appearance of these current accusations. I fired him as soon as I found out about this.
Shocked Gatlin Sacks Coach After Doping Claim
