Gatlin has reflected on his encounters with Usain Bolt, including the first time they interacted, explaining how ‘cool’ and ‘fitting’ the legendary Jamaican’s name was.
American sprinting icon Justin Gatlin has opened up about his career-defining rivalry with Usain Bolt, reflecting on the frustration of repeatedly falling short against the Jamaican legend while also acknowledging the unique brilliance that made Bolt an unstoppable force on the track.
In a lighthearted recount during his appearance on Run Your Race, Gatlin revealed that he once jokingly questioned the authenticity of Bolt’s name after witnessing the Jamaican’s meteoric rise.
“The first time I encountered Bolt, he was still young—just a high school junior,” Gatlin shared. “I saw the name ‘Usain Bolt’ and thought, ‘That is a cool name.’ But then, when he truly ‘arrived,’ I was like, ‘Let me do some research on this man.’”
Justin Gatlin has heaped praise on his long-time arch-nemesis Usain Bolt, thanking him for making him the athlete he ended up becoming after returning to the sport.
He added humorously, “I thought, ‘Maybe he changed his name—he must have been called Usain Russell or something because that name was too fitting!’”
The Gatlin-Bolt rivalry defined a generation of sprinting. Gatlin, a five-time Olympic medalist and 100m gold winner at Athens 2004, often found himself edged out by Bolt’s unparalleled top-end speed.
Bolt, who burst onto the global scene at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with record-breaking runs in the 100m and 200m, quickly became a dominant force in track and field, leaving Gatlin and others in his wake.
“At the 75-meter mark, I’d think, ‘I’ve got this.’ Then, suddenly, these long Jamaican legs would come stretching down the track, and I’d be like, ‘God damn, dawg!’” Gatlin said, describing Bolt’s signature late-race surge.
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The now-retired 2017 100m World Champion has revealed how beating Usain Bolt in 2017 boosted his appearance fees for the remainder of that season.
Despite their fierce competition, Gatlin reflected on how Bolt pushed him to elevate his own performance. “As a competitor, you come there to win and dominate. But racing against Usain was like racing against a phenomenon.”
For years, Gatlin struggled to overcome Bolt, famously falling short at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, despite being favored to win. However, the tide turned in 2017 when Gatlin claimed gold in Bolt’s final 100m race at the World Athletics Championships.
Reflecting on the challenges of competing against Bolt, Gatlin credited a four-year doping ban with giving him the time to mentally prepare for the monumental task.“Being away from the track when Bolt was starting to dominate was actually a blessing in disguise,” Gatlin admitted. “I saw the craziness he was doing, and I thought, ‘This is what I have to prepare my mind for.’”
Gatlin also praised Bolt for his charisma and impact on the sport. “Bolt was a natural showman,” he said. “He elevated the sport to a different standard.”
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The decorated Jamaican faced intimidation but could not be stopped in his quest to dominate the track.
Acknowledging the awe-inspiring speed that Bolt displayed, Gatlin emphasized how racing the Jamaican in person was an entirely different experience. “Watching someone run in person compared to watching them on TV is a totally different speed,” he explained.
While the rivalry often painted Gatlin as the antagonist to Bolt’s hero, his reflections reveal a deep respect for the Jamaican sprinter who revolutionized track and field. “I didn’t get a chance to race Usain as Usain until after he arrived—beyond 2008,” Gatlin noted.
Now retired, Gatlin’s rivalry with Bolt remains a testament to the electrifying competition that defined an era of sprinting and inspired athletes worldwide.
