Gatlin makes Rio with year’s best
American sprinter Justin Gatlin ran the fastest 100m time of the year at the US Olympic trials for Rio 2016.
The 2012 bronze medallist, 34, finished in 9.80 seconds, beating 20-year-old Trayvon Bromell who qualified for his first Olympics.
World champion Allyson Felix also set the year’s fastest time in the women’s 400m.
The 30-year-old, who won 200m gold in London, finished in 49.68secs despite still recovering from an ankle injury.
Also, Yohan Blake claimed victory in the 200m Jamaican Olympic trials, finishing in 20.29 seconds – his best time since finishing second to Usain Bolt in 19.44 seconds at London 2012.
Bolt was forced to withdraw from the trials on Saturday after suffering a hamstring tear in the 100m semi-finals.
Blake, who also won the 100m, said that he did not think Bolt’s injury was serious enough to rule him out of Rio.
Meanwhile, Russian athletes who say they are not drug cheats could find out if they can compete at this summer’s Rio Olympics just 15 days before the Games start.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport says it has reached an agreement with the athletes and athletics’ governing body, the IAAF, to end their dispute quickly.
The IAAF has banned Russia’s athletics federation from the Olympics because of widespread doping in the country.
But 68 clean athletes are arguing they should be allowed to compete.
The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) says any Russian athlete who is not banned for doping and has met qualification standards should be allowed to compete in Rio.
CAS said it would rule on the matter by July 21 “at the latest” after agreeing to “an expedited procedure”.
