Justin Gatlin has opened up on how he overcame the mental block of facing 9.58-shape Usain Bolt and 9.69 Tyson Gay after making a return to the sport in 2010.
American sprint icon Justin Gatlin has shed light on how he overcame the anxiety of competing against Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay upon his return to the sport in 2010.
In the early 2000s, Gatlin was at the pinnacle of his career. After clinching Olympic gold in the 100m at the Athens 2004 Games, he followed it up with an impressive double—winning the 100m and 200m at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki.
Hailed as one of the fastest men alive, Gatlin enjoyed immense admiration from fans. However, in 2006, he tested positive for testosterone or its precursor, a development that shattered his reputation and left him ostracized by the athletics community.
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.
Following a four-year ban, Gatlin returned to competitive sprinting in 2010. Initially, he struggled to regain his top form, but by 2012, he was back in the mix, securing a bronze medal in the 100m at the London Olympics.
However, during his absence, the sprinting world had evolved. Bolt and Gay had taken the sport to unprecedented heights, with both running under 9.7 seconds in 2009.
Bolt, in particular, had reset the limits of human speed, smashing his own world record to clock an astonishing 9.58 seconds—a mark that remains untouched.
Gatlin had to confront the psychological hurdle of facing such dominant figures. Speaking on his Ready Set Go podcast, the 2017 World 100m champion explained how anxiety often prevents athletes from performing at their best, as they tend to feel intimidated by competitors’ past performances rather than their current form.
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Gatlin has opened up on a hilarious time he was forced to go home carrying a load of cash in a paperbag instead of having it wired to his account after winning a meet.
“When I was competing, I realized that athletes fear the greatness of others,” Gatlin said.
“That’s what brought a lot of anxiety for people. When you line up against Usain, Yohan (Blake), Asafa (Powell), Tyson, or anyone like that, you say, ‘I’m about to race against Usain 9.5, I’m about to race against Tyson 9.6,’ even though, in that season, they may not have even approached those times.”
“When you’re lining up against them, you’re thinking about the best version of them, and that is what sparks fear in so many athletes.”
Gatlin revealed that once he recognized this psychological trap, he used it to his advantage by mentally preparing for the best possible versions of his rivals in training.
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Usain Bolt has finally opined the reason Kishane Thompson lost the 100m Olympic title to Noah Lyles.
“When I realized it was something I could control, I actually used it as a tool in reverse. I told myself, ‘If I’m going to face 9.5 Bolt or 9.6 Gatlin, I will prepare myself through practice for that situation.’
“That situation may never arrive, but the fact is, I was prepared for it. That’s how I was able to capture my own moment and then use it in reverse.”
Gatlin’s perseverance paid off when he finally dethroned Bolt at the 2017 World Championships in London, triumphing in the Jamaican’s final 100m race—one of the defining moments of his career.
