After claiming that he was “kicked out” of the Beijing World Challenge Tuesday, Justin Gatlin made a statement on Twitter claiming that “all is fine” with the Beijing race organizers.

 

At 8:53 p.m. on May 19, the 2004 Olympic champion posted on his private Twitter account: “Emotional day. All is fine with Beijing Org & I We have great relationship and look forward to being there in Aug “Worlds” & next year meet.”

 

According to Reuters, Gatlin and his manager Renaldo Nehemiah were apparently told by the local organizing committee that they felt Gatlin should leave because he appeared injured. 

 

After running a world lead and personal best of 9.74 in the 100m at the Doha Diamond League meeting, Gatlin was suffering from a nagging cramp in his hamstring and was unsure he’d be able to compete. But a successful training session on Monday gave Gatlin confidence in his ability to race the 100m at the Beijing meeting. 

 

Despite feeling healthy and fit to compete, Gatlin claimed that the organizers “didn’t have any respect.”

 

“I was happy to stay. I’m fit and ready to run. I was cramping a lot after the fastest my body had ever run,” Gatlin said, according to Reuters. “They didn’t have any respect for me so they said: ‘You better leave,’ and they kicked me out.”

 

Nehemiah also showed Reuters a Monday text message from an organizers’ representative suggesting that Gatlin should leave. When asked if the issue was linked to Gatlin’s past doping bans, Nehemiah responded to Reuters:

 

“No it has nothing to do with that. No, this is because they think he is injured and they don’t want him here if he’s injured,” Nehemiah said. 

 

Gatlin is five years removed from serving his second doping ban after testing positive in 2006 for high levels of testosterone. In the last year, the 33-year-old has posted personal bests in the 100m (9.74 in Doha May 15) and 200m (19.68 in Monaco July 2014). He was also a candidate for the IAAF World Athlete of the Year honor after an unbeaten 2014 season. 

 

Gatlin told Reuters that he would be back to compete at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon May 30.

 

“I’m going to drop a bomb out there,” Gatlin said.