The 25-year-old sprinter had a potential eight-year ban reduced to four years, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said today. With the ban set to expire May 24, 2010, it means Gatlin will be on the sidelines for the Beijing Olympics in August. He needed the ban reduced to two years to be eligible for the Olympic trials in June.

Details of the ban first were reported by The Washington Post.

USADA general counsel Bill Bock confirmed the report to The Associated Press, saying arbitrators acknowledged the help Gatlin provided to federal authorities "in investigating doping in sport, to extent of wearing wire in communications with his former coach," Trevor Graham.

In 2006, Gatlin tested positive for a banned substance for the second time and, under anti-doping rules, was supposed to receive a lifetime suspension.

But because of the special circumstances behind his first positive test — he was taking medicine to treat attention-deficit disorder — he reached an agreement with USADA that called for a maximum eight-year ban.

Gatlin's agreement with USADA called for him not to argue that the second positive test was faulty, but also gave him the right to seek a further reduction through arbitration.

Bock said USADA argued Gatlin didn't provide the agency with "real material assistance" in its investigation. But Bock said Jeff Novitzky, the lead investigator in the BALCO steroid investigation, testified about the assistance Gatlin provided to federal authorities in the Graham case.

Graham faces charges of lying to federal investigators.

Bock said USADA was satisfied with the arbitrators' decision.

"We have not made a final decision on whether we'd appeal, but I'd have to say our initial impression is that we're satisfied the panel reached a fair and reasonable decision on the facts of the case considering the substantial assistance Mr. Gatlin provided to the federal government," Bock said.

U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Darryl Seibel said he had not seen the decision and couldn't comment on it. He said the USOC was "concerned about the length of time it is taking to resolve these cases."

"It should not take 18 months, or longer, to reach a decision in an anti-doping arbitration," Seibel said.

Gatlin's positive test was announced in July 2006.

Gatlin, who held himself up as a role model for clean competition before his positive test, has said he doesn't know how steroids got into his system before the April 2006 test.

Graham has accused Oregon massage therapist Chris Whetstine of rubbing a steroid cream on Gatlin to trigger the positive test, but Whetstine repeatedly has denied the allegations.

Gatlin's arbitration hearing — before a three-member panel overseen by the American Arbitration Association — was held in July and was not open to the public.

It was more like a sentencing hearing than one about the merits of the case, and the result is in line with USADA's long-standing policy of being more lenient with accused and convicted dopers who are willing to help the agency.

Although it seemed sure Gatlin would get less than an eight-year sentence, the magic number was really two years. Under the decision, it's conceivable he could stick around for the 2012 London Olympics.