The 33-year-old former Olympic 100 metres champion from the United States, who has served two doping bans, was due to race in the Chinese capital after running his fastest ever time of 9.74sec at the opening IAAF Diamond League meeting in Doha on Friday (May 15).

Gatlin was unsure about his fitness following a flight to Beijing but appeared ready to compete after coming through a training session on Monday.

"They didn't have any respect for me so they said 'you better leave'," he said.

"I was happy to stay. I was cramping a lot after the fastest my body has ever run.

"It's crazy. I have no idea what they were thinking. I think they thought I wasn't man enough and I might pull up in the race, or not finish it and then still ask for money.

"But I'm not a man like that. I'm not the kind of guy to cheat people of their money or let the fans down ... that's not what I do."

The meeting organisers have yet to respond to the American's comments.

There was no word on whether there was any financial background to the decision.

Gatlin's manager Renaldo Nehemiah showed Reuters a text message from an organisers' representative sent to him on Monday, saying that the local organising committee felt Gatlin should leave.

Nehemiah claimed organisers had made Gatlin and his team pay all their flight and hotel costs, amounting to about $12,000 (£7,000/€11,000).

"It's been costly," he said.

The sprinter was reportedly bewildered and angry as he left for Beijing airport with his physiotherapist.

Gatlin's Doha time is the fastest in the world so far this year and joint-sixth quickest in history. Later this season he plans to return to Beijing to try and wrest the world title from Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, who set the world record of 9.59 while winning his first world title in 2009.

The 2004 Olympic champion's recent successes on the track – he finished top of the world lists last season at both 100 and 200m – his new sponsorship deal with Nike and the fact that he is being coached by former US sprinter Dennis Mitchell, who has also served a doping ban, have made him a controversial figure in the sport.

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