Usain Bolt has reflected on his greatest rival, highlighting their long-standing competition and paying tribute to his dedication and competitiveness.
Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt has disclosed why he considers the 2004 Olympic 100m Justin Gatlin his serial rival.
Usain Bolt explained that he and Justin Gatlin competed against each other for a very long time, about five years, unlike his other competitors like Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell who he only competed against for like one or two years.
The eight-time Olympic champion revealed that his coach, Glen Mills also referred to Justin Gatlin as a serial rival and if there was anyone to take the crown from Usain Bolt, then it would have been Gatlin.
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Usain Bolt further pointed out that Justin Gatlin never played when it came to competing and he took his races very seriously, pushing him to work even harder.
“For me, I think it has to be Justin because we competed over a longer span, for a while. We competed against each other for like five years and with everybody else it was like one or two years,” Usain Bolt said on the Fix podcast.
“I give that to Justin and my coach always said Justin is a true competitor, so it was somebody that I had a lot of respect for when it came to competing and working.”
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Usain Bolt added that he was always unbothered about the doping tests despite his American rivals always waiting eagerly for the day he would have been banned.
The 11-time world champion revealed that he always believed in his potential and was a clean athlete who used to work hard and earned every single accolade he has to his name.
“I never used to worry about that, it was one of my least problems, you know, I never used to think about it at all. I knew I was good and it never bothered me at all,” he added.
Meanwhile, the rivalry between Justin Gatlin and Usain Bolt was undoubtedly unmatched and fans always looked forward to seeing them compete against each other.
It was evident that Usain Bolt always had an edge over Justin Gatlin and in many of their races, the American would always come second.
However, at the 2017 World Championships in London, Usain Bolt received the shock defeat of his career, finishing third in the 100m final. Justin Gatlin got the bragging rights, winning the race as Christian Coleman came in second.
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Usain Bolt has expressed disappointment in Yohan Blake and others for failing to follow Coach Glen Mills’ guidance, which led to their struggles.
Usain Bolt would later retire after the World Championships but his legacy continues to live on, with his world records in the 100m (9.58) and 200m (19.19) still standing strong.
