Justin Gatlin Calls to Reignite the ‘Essence of Competing’ in Track and Field

In track and field, Justin Gatlin is considered a trailblazer. The American has regularly voiced his opinions on improving the sport as a whole. Coach Diggy’s Instagram video featured Gatlin, who emphasized the need to revive the competitive spirit, citing his illustrious career and strong love for track and field.

“Our sport really needs to focus on the essence of competing. We’ve lost that.”

Gatlin is extremely aware of the fast-paced nature of track and field, as he has witnessed the evolution of the fan base and the crowning of numerous athletes as champions in various categories.

However, as time passed, track and field lost its element of competition due to the present generation’s desire to clock faster times. The retired American sprinter mentioned that the competition can be intense at a track meet, with small differences in performance.

He noted that if someone ran 10.01 or 10.02 seconds, it might not receive much attention; however, he emphasized that this pace, although slightly slower than a sub-10-second time, still represented a strong sprinting performance.

Gatlin stressed that this time is still significant in track and field, but viewers have been spoiled by faster times recorded by prior generations of competitors. 

 

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The sport was very different when the four-time world champion was competing. However, as time passed, viewers witnessed athletes like Usain Bolt. Unlike many track superstars, the Jamaican broke records in every other event and outperformed himself each time he went on the track.

Even though Bolt retired in 2017, his records are yet to be broken by a modern athlete. Gatlin was concerned that competitors like the Jamaican, who ran with far faster timings, were setting a standard that would stand the test of time.

From his perspective, the sport should return to its origins and focus on the essence of competition. He hopes track and field fans realize that the sport has more to offer than just faster times. With this simple perspective change, spectators may experience the sport through a completely new lens, which will be fascinating.