IAAF had no choice over Justin Gatlin's nomination for Athlete of the Year
Last Updated: 09/10/14 8:26pm
The International Association of Athletics Federations has insisted it was powerless to prevent Justin Gatlin from being nominated for their Athlete of the Year award.
The American sprinter is among 10 contenders for the prestigious award despite having served two previous suspensions for doping offences earlier in his career.
Gatlin returned to action in 2010 after a lifetime ban for his second offence was reduced to four years on appeal, and he has enjoyed one of his best seasons in 2014.
The 32-year-old recorded six of the top seven times in the world over 100 metres, with a best of 9.77 seconds in Brussels last month, and he also ran the fastest time by a sprinter over 30 in both the 100m and 200m.
His excellent campaign earned him automatic qualification for the Athlete of the Year award, and the IAAF admitted there were no rules in place to prevent drug cheats to be nominated.
An IAAF spokesman said: "Gatlin, as an eligible athlete who has had a great season is, logically, also eligible for consideration for the Athlete of the Year contest in the absence of any bylaw to prevent that happening."
World and Olympic discus champion Robert Harding was so incensed about Gatlin's nomination, he asked the IAAF to be removed from the list of 10 nominees for the award.
IAAF vice-president Sebastian Coe revealed earlier this week that he was uncomfortable with Gatlin's nomination, but he insisted the governing body had little choice but to abide by its own regulations.
"The only thing I would say is he is entitled to compete; but I'm not particularly comfortable about it," said the former Olympic 1,500m champion.
Another nominee for the award is Gatlin's fellow American and former Olympic and world 400m champion LaShawn Merritt, who served a 21-month suspension for a doping offence in 2010.
Meanwhile, Harting insisted he would stand down as a member of the Athletes' Council unless the IAAF changed its rules and prevented drug cheats from being nominated for awards.
"I am ready to stand for election again but only if athletes who have misbehaved are scrapped from this year's list and are subject of a general nomination ban in the future," the German said.