After appeal, still no Beijing Olympics for Gatlin

(BEIJING, June 7) -- Former U.S. 100-meter Olympic champion Justin Gatlin won't have a chance to race at the Beijing Olympics.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued a verdict on Gatlin's appeal on Friday; the original four-year suspension issued in an earlier CAS ruling will be upheld. This means that Gatlin will miss the U.S. Olympic track qualifying trials, which will be held in three weeks.

Gatlin said in a statement later that he was glad that CAS did not prolong the ban but disappointed that it was upheld.

Two years ago, he was sanctioned with a second doping violation. According to regulations, he should be banned for life, but the American Arbitration Association (ABA) gave him an eight-year suspension because he was willing to cooperate and because he was on medication to treat Attention Deficit Disorder when he failed the first doping test in 2001.

Earlier this year, the ABA shortened his ban to four years, which still meant he would miss the Beijing Olympics.

But Gatlin wanted in and made an appeal to CAS, requesting that the sanction for his first doping offense be elminated. That way, he would have a two-year suspension for his secondoffense and be able to participate in the Olympic trials.

Secretary General Matthieu Reeb of CAS said that the outcome of the appeal was a compromise, as the IAAF had requested a lifetime ban for Gatlin, but CAS deemed four years as an appropriate sanction.