Runner Who Missed Drug Tests Wins 100 at Worlds

Christian Coleman of the US won the world championship gold medal in the men's 100 meters Saturday in Qatar, three weeks after avoiding a ban for missed drug tests, the AP reports. Coleman started well and extended his lead down the stretch to win in 9.76 seconds. Defending champion Justin Gatlin finished second in the marquee event of the championships. Andre de Grasse of Canada was third. "At the end, all my worries just evaporated out there," said Coleman, 23. "It was a crazy feeling. To add my name to the list of the legendary guys who've come before me is an honor and a blessing." Coleman beat his personal best by 0.03 seconds to become the sixth-fastest man in history, overtaking Nesta Carter and Maurice Greene in the all-time standings.

Coleman was initially charged with failing to provide accurate information on his whereabouts for drug testing, missing three tests over 12 months. The US Anti-Doping Agency has never reported a positive drug test for Coleman. The agency said Coleman has been tested on 20 separate occasions in 2018 and 2019. He missed a drug test on April 26, his third missed test since June 2018. But the World Anti-Doping Agency's interpretation of the rule backdated his first failure to April 1, 2018, instead of the date it occurred, June 6, 2018. On Sept. 2, USADA said that technicality meant there weren't three failures within 12 months, and it would not pursue the case. (In August, a star quarterback was cleared after a police drug-test error.)