‘I helped contribute to the greatness!’ – Justin Gatlin defends moment he spat across Usain Bolt’s lane

Justin Gatlin has defended the moment he spat across Usain Bolt’s lane back in 2011.

Justin Gatlin has finally broken his silence regarding a controversial moment from his early rivalry with Usain Bolt—spitting across the Jamaican’s lane before a race in Zagreb, Croatia. 

The incident, which happened shortly after Gatlin returned from a four-year doping ban, was seen by many as a classic case of psychological warfare.

Bolt, an eight-time Olympic gold medalist, first recounted the moment on the High Performance podcast last November. “I remember the first time I competed with Justin, he spat across my lane,” Bolt revealed. 

“We were in, I think, Zagreb, and we were competing. You know when you warm up and you’re running out of your blocks? I was walking back, and he was walking towards me, and he spit across my lane in front of me.”

Despite Gatlin’s attempt at intimidation, Bolt remained unfazed and went on to win the race in a season-best 9.85 seconds under hot and humid conditions in Croatia’s capital.

Now, appearing on the Ready Set Go podcast, which he co-hosts alongside Rodney Green, Gatlin was confronted about the moment.

When Green asked Bolt, “Is it true? Did he spit in your lane?” Gatlin responded with uncertainty, saying, “I don’t even know if I did!”

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Bolt, however, was certain: “It was our first race together, and I never forgot it.”

He went on to explain why he believed Gatlin resorted to such tactics. “I understood why. Remember, Justin was in the era of Maurice Greene and all these guys. That’s what he is used to. That’s the mentality. So when you come back and you see these guys chilling, you won’t want to be anybody’s friend,” Bolt said.

“For me, it was funny because I understood in track and field how it is. I know he’s not going to come back and start running fast; it’s going to take him a while to get going. I wasn’t worried. I ran, and he’s coming back, he’s walking, he spat across my lane, and I looked up and I smiled because I understood he was just trying to intimidate me, but I wasn’t worried,” Bolt added with a laugh.

As Green pushed further, he turned to Gatlin and asked, “So you did spit in this man’s lane! Did you apologize?”

Gatlin responded with a simple, “I apologize,” prompting laughter from both Bolt and Green.

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Gatlin further defended himself, saying, “I am so focused, and I do not think in that moment I was thinking about doing those petty trickery things. I am thinking like at that point that I have allergies. I was probably trying to get my mouth clear so I can go run as well as clear my sinuses. I do not think it was ever a case of, ‘F Usain Bolt’ kind of thing.”

However, he couldn’t help but take some credit for the Jamaican’s legendary career. “It was the fact I was focused on getting ready for my race, but I can now say I helped contribute to the greatness,” he added.

With Gatlin boasting five Olympic medals—including the 100m gold at Athens 2004—his attempts to get under Bolt’s skin early on only highlighted the extraordinary potential the Jamaican would later fulfill.

While Gatlin was a seasoned sprinter returning from suspension, Bolt was just beginning to revolutionize the sport. His rise to superstardom came at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he shattered world records in the 100m and 200m. Gatlin, despite being a fierce competitor, could never quite overcome Bolt’s dominance.

After his four-year ban, Gatlin returned to the podium but had to settle for bronze at London 2012 and silver at Rio 2016, while Bolt secured three consecutive Olympic sprint doubles.