US sprinter Justin Gatlin has vowed to challenge Jamaicans Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake this year, as he prepares to come up against Bolt over 100 metres in Rome on Thursday night.

Usain Bolt suffered a rare 100 metres defeat when he was beaten by drugs cheat Justin Gatlin in Rome. The Olympic champion said he stumbled after making the ‘perfect start’ and could not catch Gatlin, who won bronze behind Bolt in the 100m in London.

The 26-year-old Jamaican came second in a 100m sprint in Rome yesterday, beaten by American Justin Gatlin, 31, who came in at 9.94 seconds compared to Bolt's 9.95.

Usain Bolt didn't seem too bothered by his shock defeat in Rome on Friday night as he was spotted enjoying the French Open men's singles final on Sunday between Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer.

Justin Gatlin remained unbeaten this season by winning the 100 metres at the Golden Spike meet on Tuesday, clocking 9.86 seconds to improve his own world-leading time of the year.

American drug cheat Justin Gatlin won the 100m in Brussels on Friday evening with a years best time of 9.77s, amid controversy that the twice-banned sprinter shouldn't even be allowed to compete.

American sprinter Justin Gatlin finished the season undefeated in all of his 18 races with a 9.83 seconds 100 metre win at the IAAF world challenge meeting in Rieti on Sunday.

Research undertaken at the University of Oslo shows that dope cheats such as Justin Gatlin could still be benefiting from taking banned substances years after initial usage.

Sebastian Coe has questioned the nomination of former drugs cheat Justin Gatlin as one of the IAAF's athletes of the year after the new research in to long-lasting effects of steroids.

Despite being undefeated in the 100 and 200 metres this season, Justin Gatlin has failed to make the three-man shortlist for the IAAF 2014 World Athlete of the Year, following a two-week voting process.

Former Olympic champion and convicted drugs cheat Justin Gatlin has been handed a new sponsorship deal by Nike, sparking outrage in the Athletics world.

By giving a new sportswear deal to twice-convicted drugs cheat Justin Gatlin, Nike is legitimising the taking of performance-enhancing drugs in sport by making a cheat look cool.

Athletics fans should lay off two-time drugs cheat Justin Gatlin and direct their ire at the sport’s governing body instead, according to former Olympic Champion Michael Johnson.

Justin Gatlin sent a message to Usain Bolt on Friday - both with his legs and his mouth. Gatlin lived up to the pre-season hype by winning the 100m in a world-leading 9.74 seconds in Doha.

MARTIN SAMUEL: The world’s top sprinter this year is Justin Gatlin, on his shoulder is Tyson Gay. Both are tainted by drugs and UK Athletics would not issue invitations to either man for an event.

Justin Gatlin added the year's fastest 200m time to his resume at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting.  Gatlin equalled his lifetime best with his run of 19.68 seconds

Justin Gatlin insisted he was not thinking about beating Usain Bolt to gold at the World Championships later this year after another stunning win in the 100 metres.

MARTHA KELNER: Justin Gatlin can produce a nightmare scenario for advocates of clean sport by breaking Usain Bolt’s 100metres world record this summer, according to ex-sprinter John Regis.

Justin Gatlin easily beat two big-name rivals by clocking 9.75 seconds in the 100 metres at the Athletissima Diamond League race on Thursday.

Next month’s World Championships men’s 100m final is in danger of rivalling the 1988 Olympic final in Seoul as the ‘Dirtiest Race in History’.

Justin Gatlin could win world championships and go undefeated for a second consecutive season but he would still not be ineligible for the sport's athlete of the year award.

American sprinter Justin Gatlin continued his fine form by clocking 9.78 to win the 100 metres at the Herculis Diamond League meet on Friday.

Usain Bolt blew away any fears about his fitness and fired a major warning to Justin Gatlin as he blasted to his fastest 100 metres of the year on his return to the Olympic Stadium on Friday night.

MATT LAWTON: Seb Coe has said he will feel ‘queasy’ should Justin Gatlin, or any other convicted drugs cheat, win gold at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing.

Usain Bolt turns 29 on Friday. There might be a modest slice of cake and a rendition of Happy Birthday from his Jamaican team-mates but otherwise the significance of the day will be ignored.

MARTHA KELNER IN BEIJING: The roll call of winners from the first round of the World Championships 100m was almost farcical with four of the seven previously serving drugs bans.

OLIVER HOLT: If Justin Gatlin wins, it will be a terrible indictment of a sport. If Usain Bolt wins, it will merely reinforce the idea that he is all that stands between athletics and oblivion.

As Usain Bolt fulfilled his final media duties inside the Bird’s Nest stadium after winning 100m gold, with cleaners tidying around him and, a fan draped draped in the Jamaican flag screamed: ‘Yes Usain Bolt!'

American sprinter Justin Gatlin will refuse to speak to British media and the BBC in the future following 'hurtful attacks' and 'biased views' in reports having won silver in the 100m World Championship final.

CHARLES SALE: Lord Coe’s unparalleled reputation as Britain’s leading sporting statesman is in danger of being tainted by his continued links with Nike.

Justin Gatlin is the 100m Diamond League champion after taking a closely-fought victory in Brussels at the final Diamond League meeting of the year.

JONATHAN MCEVOY: 20 years on from becoming the only man to claim an Olympic 200m and 400m double, Michael Johnson opens up on the problems facing his friend Lord Coe and British hopes in Rio.

USA's Justin Gatlin, 34, hopes to become the fastest man in the world, beating out rival sprinter Jamaican Usain Bolt. The New Yorker has been banned from the Olympics twice for doping

Bolt claimed all the headlines as the star of a generation took his final bow in an emotional night in the English capital. And his sporting contemporaries paid homage to his career.

Justin Gatlin was again cast as the pantomime villain by the crowd at the London Stadium on Sunday as he collected his 100m gold medal after beating Usain Bolt to re-gain his world title.

Gatlin has rejected the allegations, for which he is considering suing the newspaper, and has sacked Mitchell, who won 4x100m relay gold for the USA in 1992 before being banned in 1998.

The 22-year-old Brit stormed through on the line to record an impressive season's best of 10.04sec in driving rain, edging out the Chinese pair of Su Bingtian and Xie Zhenye.

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has taken to Instagram to show off how he is keeping his reflexes sharp during the football shutdown.  

Bayern Munich have sealed a contract extension for Hansi Flick that will see the head coach remain at the club until 2023.

Chelsea have reportedly made the first move in the race to sign Philippe Coutinho this summer. The attacking midfielder joined Barcelona from Liverpool in a deal worth £145m two years ago.

PETE JENSON: Barcelona will need to raise funds this summer if they are to finance a bid for Neymar or Lautaro Martinez against a backdrop of massive losses because of the coronavirus shutdown.

Few players are heading into the summer with their future as uncertain as Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho. With that in mind, Sportsmail assesses his potential landing spots - and where he suits best.

A new contract for Manuel Neuer is no closer. Amid interest from Chelsea and with the clock ticking on his current deal, Neuer and his agent Frank Kroth are digging their heels in during talks with Bayern.

​Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has voiced his opposition to the formation of a European Super League.

Former Manchester United and Tottenham star Dimitar Berbatov has urged Timo Werner to sign for Bayern Munich instead of Liverpool this summer. He has impressed for RB Leipzig.

Bayern Munich players will return to training on Monday for the first time since the Bundesliga campaign was suspended. The top flight has been on hold since March 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

First-team stars Robert Lewandowski and Kingsley Coman were seen entering Bayern's training facility on Monday morning as the players returned to action in small groups.

Boateng's relationship with Bayern has soured after he was fined by the club for breaking coronavirus guidelines regarding essential travel, while he is about to enter the last 12 months of his contract.

Muller has been at the Bundesliga giants since 2008 and has put pen to paper on a new deal until June 2023. The 30-year-old crucially kept his social distance for some very unusual photos.

Manuel Neuer is 'unlikely' to be at Bayern Munich next season because the 34-year-old goalkeeper wants a five year contract extension.