Former champion Gatlin feels 'blessed' to return from drug suspension

DAEGU, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- Former world champion Justin Gatlin said Wednesday he feels "blessed" to be back on the track here and doing what he loves. The American sprinter this month will be making his first appearance at the World Championships in Athletics since his four-year doping ban ended last year. He placed second behind Walter Dix at the U.S. national championships in June.
Gatlin won the men's 100-meter titles at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2005 world championships in Helsinki. But a positive doping test in 2006 kept him off the track for four years, and Gatlin said he's just glad to be back.
"I definitely don't want to sit in the stands eating popcorn and watch other guys run," Gatlin said during a press conference here. The championships will start this Saturday. "I am hungry. I have sensational appetite to go out there and run my heart out. Just to feel that I am here, I feel blessed."
Gatlin once shared the world record of 9.77 seconds in the 100 meters with Asafa Powell of Jamaica. Another Jamaican, Usain Bolt, has long shattered the mark. The current world mark is 9.58, which Bolt set at the previous world championships in Berlin two years ago.
Gatlin, 29, said he isn't overly concerned about records this time and about comparing himself to younger sprinters.
"(My coach) Brooks Johnson has said, 'Let's not worry about the time, let's worry about getting you to the championships and on the podium," Gatlin said. "We've never really talked about time. We've talked about effort in crossing that finish line."
Gatlin said he wants to prove that he deserves the second chance that he's been given at the track.
"I wanted to come back and show the world that I am a legit runner (and that) I can run with the best of them," he said. "That's why I am here now."
Gatlin professed respect for Bolt, calling him "a forefront pioneer for the evolution of track and field."
"It takes someone to step up and take the track world to a different level. He has done it very well," Gatlin said. "He's brought excitement to the track, and he has a lot of charisma."
Gatlin said people should take note of the pressure that comes with being the best in the business like Bolt. But he also said for all the respect he has for Bolt, they will still be competing.
"At the end of the day, we're still competitors," Gatlin said. "I am going out there for the race to win."