GATLIN: Targets WR In The UK Where He Ran 9.89 Last Year At Crystal Palace. Bet He Didn’t Stay At The Queens Hotel and walk down the hill like we did in the dark ages 
Gatlin has World record ambitions at World Athletics Tour meetings in Britain
THIS STORY APPEARS COURTESY OF THE IAAF WEBSITE WHERE IT FIRST APPEARED
Tuesday 11 April 2006
London, UK - Double World sprint champion and Olympic 100m gold medallist Justin Gatlin hopes to add the World record to his impressive list of achievements when he races in Britain this summer.
The American has confirmed he will compete at all three of UK Athletics’ major events starting with the IAAF World Athletics Tour meeting in Gateshead on June 11 - Norwich Union British Grand Prix - his first race in Europe this season.
Gatlin will also compete at the prestigious Norwich Union London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace on July 28, which is the other British IAAF World Athletics Tour meeting of 2006, then will participate at the two-day Norwich Union International in Birmingham in August.
Whilst the 24-year-old has never competed at either Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium or Gateshead, the London venue holds terrific memories.
He said: “Last year I won the 100m at Crystal Palace in 9.89 seconds, which is the fastest time ever in Great Britain, so I can’t wait to see what I can do this time.”
Gatlin won 100m and 200m gold at last year’s World Championships in Helsinki, only the second time in the history of the championships an athlete has won the sprint double.
With a host of titles to his name one honour so far eluding America’s top sprinter is the 100m World record. That accolade currently belongs to Commonwealth Games gold medallist Asafa Powell. The Jamaican set the record last year in Athens with a time of 9.77 seconds, but Gatlin believes that record could be broken in Britain this year.
“With no World Championships this year, running fast times is going to be even more important, so I think it would be a great time to try for the 100m World record. I’m the World champion – so of course I want that World record.”
Andrew Wallace for the IAAF