Gatlin hopes to recover for London race

Joint 100 metres world record holder Justin Gatlin hopes to recover from a knee injury in time for London's July 28 meeting.

"I'm still staying in shape," Gatlin told Reuters.

"I'm trying to make sure my sharpness is still there, so I can get ready for London," the Olympic and world champion added.

The injury to his right calf and knee is not season-threatening but after withdrawing from meetings in Athens and Lausanne, Gatlin said he would not compete before London.

Whether he would be running against arch-rival and co-record holder Asafa Powell in London, Gatlin did not know.

"That (race) was what I was thinking about because that will be the first place I see him," Gatlin said.

Powell's coach Stephen Francis, said recently the Jamaican may run a 200 metres in London instead of the 100.

Both sprinters have this season equalled the world record of 9.77 seconds, originally set by Powell in 2005, but have not met on the track.

Lausanne invitation

Powell turned down an invitation from organisers of yesterday's Lausanne meeting to replace Gatlin, because it was too soon after his Golden League victory in Paris, last Saturday.

"We had not scheduled Lausanne," Powell's manager Paul Doyle was quoted as saying.

"I confirm that he will compete in Rome next Friday and then Stockholm (on July 25)," Doyle added.

Nehemiah, the former 110 metres hurdles world record holder, described Gatlin's injury as a badly inflamed tendon behind his knee.

"I know that can happen with sprinters and can become a problem from overuse," Nehemiah said.

Gatlin said his right calf had become swollen and slightly strained after he ran three rounds of the 100 metres at the US Championships in Indianapolis last month.

"I got back to Raleigh and tried to train for Athens and hurt myself in the calf," said Gatlin.

"I tried to rest a little bit and then get back to get ready for Lausanne and overcompensated to my knee."