Justin Gatlin

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP):

Justin Gatlin realises that to some his reputation will be forever tarnished by a positive test for excessive testosterone in 2006.

That's fine. He served his four-year suspension and no longer worries about critics.

The American sprinter hopes that judgement on Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown, following her suspension for a positive test, is reserved until everything is examined.

wait and watch

"When you see someone who has such a stellar pedigree like hers, from youth age to now, you have to sit and wait and watch what happens," said Gatlin, who will run in the first round of the 100 metres today at US Championships. "I wish the best for her."

Campbell-Brown, the reigning 200-metre World Champion and three-time Olympic gold medallist, was suspended by Jamaica's national federation on Tuesday pending an investigation into a positive drug test. Jamaican officials said Campbell-Brown tested positive for a banned diuretic at a meet on the island in May.

Campbell-Brown's manager, Claude Bryan, recently said the accusation came as a "shock to her," and the sprinter is determined to clear her name.

Gatlin has steadily regained his form since returning in July 2010 from his ban, capturing a bronze medal in London last summer. He maintained that his positive test back in 2006 was caused when a massage therapist rubbed a testosterone-like cream on to his legs.

"Not talking really about my case, but in general, I want the audience to understand that yes, there are people out there who are doping on purpose. And then you have athletes out there who are victims as well," Gatlin said.

"It's a wide variety of things that can happen to an athlete that can lead them to be a victim."

reputation

As for restoring his reputation, he said he's not focused on that.

"In track and field, one thing you learn is you're judged by your performance," Gatlin said.

"No matter how often I say I'm innocent or not me, I have to go out here and perform. I knew I had to come back and run 9.7. I knew I had to come back and win a gold medal indoors. I knew I had to come back and make the Olympic team. These are things I had to do because those are things I did before anything happened to me in a negative light.

"I always have to remember that there's always going to be critics out there, always going to be haters that are going to look at me or anybody else like the Veronica situation in a negative light."