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BEIJING 2008: US judge blocks Gatlin's bid to run at Olympic trials

A US judge on Tuesday blocked banned sprinter Justin Gatlin's bid to compete at the upcoming US Olympic athletics trials.

Judge Lacey Collier dissolved a temporary restraining order that would have let Gatlin compete, ruling on Tuesday that although Gatlin had been wronged by the anti-doping process, the court did not have the authority to intervene.

Collier noted that the US Amateur Sports Act gives the US Olympic Committee (USOC) “sole authority” over all matters concerning US participation in the Olympic Games.

“As courts have indeed held, issues regarding whether an athlete is eligible to participate in the Olympic Games or any of its qualifying events are reserved solely for the USOC and the courts have no jurisdiction to entertain a private right of action that might impinge upon an eligibility determination,” Collier ruled.

Gatlin’s lawyer Joseph Zarzaur said his client would appeal to the federal circuit court in Atlanta, Georgia, “first thing in the morning.”

“It’s kind of a mixed bag,” Zarzaur told the sports news service PA SportsTicker. “We’re encouraged and not encouraged.”

Gatlin’s window for a legal remedy is closing fast. The US trials begin in Eugene, Oregon, tomorrow, with 100m heats scheduled for Saturday.

Collier indicated that Gatlin might be able to take his case to the Swiss Supreme Court.

Gatlin, the reigning Olympic 100m champion, is serving a four-year ban for doping.
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