Justin Gatlin has revealed that a spectator decided to heckle his mother as the American collected his silver medal at the World Athletics Championships.
Much of the build-up to the 100m showpiece centred on the controversy surrounding Gatlin, who has served two bans for doping violations and was the favourite ahead of the final after an impressive year.
However, the 33-year-old was edged out by Usain Bolt in Sunday's final, and he made efforts to point out an incident involving a fan and his mother as he stood on the podium on Monday.
"No one has to talk disrespectful to anybody," he told reporters. "We're just here to run. They pay tickets to see us run. Let us run and do what we do.
"I could see it in my mom's face. Because she's my mom."
Gatlin will return to the track on Tuesday for the 200m heats.
