“It was exciting to watch,” Justin Gatlin said after Rodney Green asked him about the men’s 200-meter sprint finals at the Paris Olympics on the Ready Set Go podcast on YouTube.
The four-time world champion noted that Olympic outcomes were always unpredictable. This year, Noah Lyles was expected to face his toughest challenge in the 100 meters.
Surprisingly, Lyles clinched gold by a mere 0.005 seconds, stunning spectators and the global track community alike. Following this victory, the 42-year-old observed that expectations were high for Lyles to secure gold in the 200 meters, given his past success in the event.
However, he also pointed out that Lyles seemed off his usual game as the competition neared, lacking his characteristic intensity in both preliminaries and finals. While acknowledging that COVID might have affected Lyles, Gatlin explained:
“When you push your body to max in one event, the 100 meters, and then you have to come back the next day to get ready for the 200, and run rounds competitively against individuals like Kenny Bednarek, Letsile Tebogo, and Erriyon Knighton, like those are the usual suspects that he has to be able to be on his A game to compete against.”
Gatlin emphasized the challenges of the Paris Olympics’ 200-meter event. Despite unfavorable conditions, Lyles secured bronze, which he saw as a “victory” compared to his bronze in the same event at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
“To go out there and run knowing that your body is taxed and still be able to come and get on the podium, it’s a feat within itself, for sure.”
Green suggested that even at peak conditions, Lyles might not have outperformed Letsile Tebogo. The retired Bahamian sprinter believed Lyles needed to run around 19.40 seconds, closer to his 19.31-second personal best, to beat the Botswanan athlete.
Gatlin praised Tebogo’s performance, noting his flawless running since the start of 2024.
From setting a world record in the 300 meters and world leads in the 200 and 400 meters to coping with his mother’s passing, Gatlin recognized the immense pressure on Tebogo, especially at the outset of the Paris Olympics.
Nonetheless, Gatlin was impressed by Tebogo’s motivation, not only participating but winning gold in the 200 meters and dedicating his triumph to his late mother.
