Justin Gatlin’s world-record time in the men’s 100m has been amended from 9,76 seconds to 9,77sec, equalling but not bettering the previous mark, world athletics governing body IAAF announced on Wednesday.
Gatlin was timed at 9,76sec at an IAAF Grand Prix meeting in Doha, Qatar, on May 12, a mark which was one-hundredths of a second faster than the existing world record set by Jamaica’s Asafa Powell in 2005.
But in a statement, the IAAF said that the actual timing for the American was 9,766sec, which meant it should have been rounded up to 9,77 and not 9,76.
”Therefore, Gatlin’s time will now be adjusted to 9,77, and pending ratification, will equal the previous 100m world record of Asafa Powell set in 2005,” the IAAF statement said.
Gatlin had set what he thought was a new 100m world record at the Qatar Super Grand Prix last Friday, with a time of 9,76sec.
The 24-year-old American, who clocked 9,85secs in the semifinal, was overjoyed by his then ‘record’.
”I am very happy to have broken the world record,” said Gatlin at the time, who is also world champion. ”I knew it was coming. This is my third time in Doha and it has proved to be third time lucky.”
Gatlin announced his intentions in his first race of the campaign when he clocked 9,95sec in Osaka in Japan.
He and Powell are due to meet at the Gateshead Grand Prix in England on June 11. Their last meeting was in London last July when Gatlin cruised to victory as Powell pulled up with a groin injury.
Powell was also forced to miss the world championships in Helsinki as a result of the injury. — AFP
