It's a fun run again for Gatlin

HELSINKI -- Anyone who thought that what happened in Athens last summer was a five-ringed fluke should have been inside the Olympic Stadium here last night when a certain Justin Gatlin ran away from the world -- again -- in the 100 meters.

''Gold medal at the Olympics, gold medal at the world championships -- nobody can take that away from me," declared America's rocket man after he'd blown away Michael Frater of Jamaica and defending champion Kim Collins of St. Kitts by 17-hundredths of a second in 9.88, the largest margin in meet history.

Except for world record-holder Asafa Powell, who withdrew before the meet with a groin injury, and three-time victor Maurice Greene, who didn't make the US team in the event, everybody Gatlin had beaten at Olympus was here -- silver medalist Francis Obikwelu of Portugal, countryman Shawn Crawford (who didn't make the final), and Collins.

''I staked my claim," declared Gatlin, whose challenge now is to win Thursday's 200 and join Greene as the only men to win the sprint double at the world championships. ''I ran like a champion. I show up big when it's time to show up big."

Could a healthy Powell, who ran more than a tenth of a second faster when he set his global mark (9.77) in June, have made a race of it? ''I'm sure I would have run real fast," said the Jamaican, who watched the final from the stands. ''It would have been a footrace. It was a good race anyway."

Gatlin's wasn't a blazing time -- it didn't rank among the 10 fastest -- and it was three-100ths slower than Gatlin ran in Athens. But he'd said all week that he wasn't concerned about the clock. Gatlin's mantra was consistent. ''I'll do whatever it takes to be victorious," he said. ''If that means winning by a mile or an inch."

His prelim and quarterfinal times were forgettable, but Gatlin's 9.99 in yesterday's semis -- the only sub-10 among the bunch -- caught everyone's attention. Was he trying to send a message? ''Just wanted to make the finals, man," Gatlin said.

Once there, he paced up and down his lane before the start like a leashed tiger, checking out the terrain and his challengers. He was slow (as in seventh) out of the blocks and was only fourth halfway down the track.

For a moment, it looked as if teammate Leonard Scott, who'd come out blasting, might steal it. Or that Collins, who'd barely made the final, would slip away with the gold, just as he did in Paris two years ago. ''Don't let me in the final," he joked. ''Once I'm in, you know there's going to be trouble."

But once Gatlin shifted into warp speed, the race was over in a half a dozen strides. His margin was two-100ths greater than Carl Lewis's in 1987. ''So I did set some kind of record, huh?" Gatlin said.

Records come and go. What matters to Gatlin, at least for now, are global gold medals and flags and anthems. So far, he's got two of each with less than 20 seconds of effort.

Triumph didn't come nearly as easily for another Olympic champion yesterday. Sweden's Carolina Kluft, who won the Olympic heptathlon in a near walkover, had to go down to the final straightaway on the final event to retain her world crown ahead of former champion Eunice Barber of France.

''This was the toughest heptathlon I've ever done," said the 22-year-old Kluft, after she'd come from behind to hold off Barber in the 800 meters and outpoint her, 6,887-6,824. ''This was a great experience for me. I'm just happy I made it."

After spraining her left ankle practicing the hurdles Friday, Kluft was just hoping to make it to the second day in one piece. ''I don't want to be in her shoes right now," said Barber, who led by two points after the first four events.

But once Kluft won the long jump, things turned in her favor, helped by a large coterie of flag-waving countryfolk who dropped by from next door for the weekend. When Barber couldn't beat Kluft by more than 20 points in the javelin, she knew she was in trouble.

''I'm disappointed, but it's not a shock," said Barber, who missed the Olympics with injuries. ''I've learned to win, I've learned to lose. There's next time."

Kluft's labors are done here, but Gatlin's have just begun. The rounds in the 200, which is his real challenge, start tomorrow. Even with Crawford, the Olympic champion, bypassing the event with a cranky foot, three rivals (countrymen Wallace Spearmon and Tyson Gay and Jamaica's Usain Bolt) have faster times than Gatlin's 20.00 this year.

''Hope I get a medal from those young boys running fast," says Gatlin, who was third in the event in Athens.

Then there's a matter of payback in the 4 x 100 relay, which the Americans (with Gatlin running second) lost to Britain in Athens and which Gatlin will anchor Saturday. One down, two more in play.

''I am the Olympic champion and the world champion, but I want Justin Gatlin to be the champion of everything," America's rocket man proclaimed. ''If there is a gold medal for it, I want to win it."