Camaraderie on track and field isn’t uncommon, especially when one dates it back to the early 2000s. Icons like Justin Gatlin and Asafa Powell were huge at the time, both holding world records in various timelines and looking for a reason to banter.
Fans knew they wanted to see both the icons battle it out on track at some point. However, before it could happen, a series of hilarious events took place that no one could fathom the reason for.
The incident dates back to sometime in 2006 when fans had been rooting for both the Titans on track. Both being world record holders, their rivalry was reflected through their track timings at various races across the world. The 100m sprints had never witnessed such close competition before, and Gatlin and Powell were hellbent on beating each other’s records.
However, when it came to the possibility of having the two of them together at the Prefontaine Classics, something odd took place. While Gatlin and Powell agreed to participate, two separate Prefontaine Classics took place, where they went separate ways.
Years after the confusion surrounding that odd occurrence, Gatlin finally came clean on his podcast, Ready, Set, Go. Sitting alongside Powell, he confessed that he was primarily responsible for the separate races since he denied running alongside his top competitor at the time.
“I’m going to go on record and say that it was me. I said because I thought it was so special that we both co-owned the world record…”
However, the main issue stemmed from a financial problem with the contract that both the athletes had signed with Nike. Turns out, they weren’t going to get their payment, and fans highly anticipated the race due to their records. Gatlin refused and asked them to put in a ‘B Race’ instead since he felt they deserved to get paid properly.
Powell chimed in and added how he felt their agents had also been keeping them away from racing each other. To him, it seemed like they anticipated getting them to go head-to-head at the Prefontaine Classics.
“If he was going to, say Rome. I’m in Switzerland, you know. If he’s going to there, I’m not going there. I’m going somewhere else. So it’s like, they were keeping us from each other.”
Yet, with all the rivalry set aside, there’s no denying that Gatlin and Powell have been two of the shining gems on track with their jaw-dropping speeds. Clocking in at under 10s every time in the 100m races, their rivalry goes down in history as one of the most memorable ones ever.
How was it for Asafa Powell and Justin Gatlin to share a world record?
In the same podcast where both icons reflected on their achievements, their co-owned records had to be one of the highlights to talk about. Dominating the tracks in the early 2000s, both Gatlin and Powell had sealed their version of the American-Jamaican rivalry.
Despite their rivalry at the time, Gatlin admitted that it was no less than an honor to share a world record with someone as iconic as Powell. Both knew that such a situation may never occur in the future and cherished each moment of glory.
Powell also firmly believed that if social media had been prominent back then, their banter would’ve transcended beyond the track to the online world.
Fans would’ve gotten a good kick out of their rivalry since they were both quite young and bold enough to be upfront with each other. Yet, their friendship currently takes the cake, and the memories on track remain sealed in the sands of time.
