Olympic Track 2012: US Sprinter Justin Gatlin's Speedy Comeback from Exile

Let’s do some word association: 2004 Olympics 100-meter gold medalist. Double gold-medalist in the 100- and 200-meter dash at the 2006 world championships. American track star.

Doesn’t ring a bell?

That’s because Justin Gatlin has been remembered for a four-year doping ban he received for an illegal substance in 2006. After a obstacle-filled two years after being reinstated, he will be representing the United States in the 100 meters with plans on changing his legacy.

Up until last year, however, Gatlin had not escaped the shadow of those USADA (Anti-Doping Agency) charges from six years prior.

The ban was a shocking blow to the sprinting world, where Gatlin had become a household name, world-record holder in the 100 meters and a endorsed by Nike. The doping ban rid the American sprinter of his prime, a lifespan that usually does not escalate past the early 30s. At the time, Gatlin was 24 years young with a lot of races ahead of him. Perhaps a lot of medals too.

While Gatlin was forced to sit at home during the 2008 Olympics, Usain Bolt claimed the throne as the "World’s Fastest Man." He would break Gatlin’s world record in the 100 meters in dominant fashion (9.69 to Gatlin’s 9.85) and cash in on the gold medals in the 200-meter dash and 4x100 relay.

The Jamaican had become a sprinting sensation overnight; in the process, Gatlin had been rendered to yesterday’s news.

Everybody loves a comeback, but getting back to the 2012 London Olympics would be no small feat for Gatlin. He would need world-class confidence and unmatched determination to get back to the big stage.

Initially, though, he was too big to run on the big boy’s track. Literally. His weight built up to be a huge concern as the training process began. Rumor had it that Gatlin was 30 pounds overweight.

When Gatlin was asked about his weight issues, he didn’t shy away from the accusations. He embraced them in a recent interview with USA Today:

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"Laziness was creeping in," he says. "My coach says I was 230. No way. But maybe 215."

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Once Gatlin got on the track, the rumors about Gatlin’s weight had substance. A whole lot of it.

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"One guy wrote," he recalls, "that I looked like a pro wrestler on the track."

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In time, Gatlin would slim down to a 185-pound frame and run similar to the 24-year old dynamo that took the country by storm in Athens.

Only this time, at the tender age of 30.

In an unprecedented run, Gatlin reemerged as a sprinting contender in June 2012. He entered the Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon with the expectations of a first-place finish, even though most in the stadium viewed him as a has-been trying to reclaim lost glory.

He would defy the critics with a masterful race, finishing with the fastest time for a man in his 30s and one-upping his longtime rival Tyson Gay. The road to redemption has come to a climax in London, with the world eager to see if Gatlin can upstage the younger, sprier Jamaicans Bolt and Yohan Blake.

With an Olympics opportunity in tow, Gatlin will surely do everything in his power to seize the moment:

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"I know what it feels like to have a talent and not be able to use it for half a decade," he says. "My life as a U.S. track and field athlete is very special to me now, probably more so than before. -Via USA Today

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This may be Gatlin’s curtain call, but the journey to London has been just as sweet as the gold.