THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TALLINN, Estonia — Justin Gatlin won his second race in a week at the Ergo Games in Tallinn, Estonia, on Sunday during his low-key return to track after a four-year doping ban.
The 28-year-old former Olympic champion finished in 10.17 seconds, beating fellow American Justin Williams by 0.08 seconds at the small meet in the Estonian capital. Aleksandr Linnik of Belarus was third in 10.59.
Gatlin got off to a sluggish start, but his acceleration at the halfway point helped him to pull away from the rest of the field and finish the race comfortably in first place.
"I think it was a good race," Gatlin told The Associated Press. "My body’s been aching a bit due to a lot of training."
The sprinter made his comeback at a small meet in the northeastern Estonian town of Rakvere on Tuesday, winning in 10.24.
Gatlin’s personal best is 9.85, run at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where he won gold. He was banned from the sport after testing positive in April 2006 for excessive testosterone. The ban ended last month.
Gatlin is next likely to race at the Joensuu Games in Finland on Aug. 21.