Justin Gatlin Recalls the Mental Warfare He Had With Track Legend Usain Bolt: “Damn, He Got Me”

Track and field has seen one of the fiercest rivalries over time. Back in 2015, Justin Gatlin was having one of the quickest seasons of his career; however, his main competitor was none other than Jamaican track superstar Usain Bolt. They both had a fantastic season together, with plenty of action on the track. In a recent Ready Set Go podcast on YouTube, the American track legend discusses his emotions after Bolt defeated him at the 2015 World Championships.

While the track may appear to be physical in which athletes must develop their bodies to resemble those of gold medalists, it is also a mental battle amongst competitors. In the podcast, Rodney A. Green discusses how Usain Bolt always had a strategy in mind while facing any type of competition. The Jamaican star never provided it, since he had no reactions that could have revealed his plan to his rivals. Gatlin agreed with the argument because he had experienced it.

The 2015 season was two years before the Jamaican star’s retirement, and he intended to make the most of his final time in the sport. Gatlin was giving him a tough time on the track because his own athletic ability was comparable to Bolt’s. But Green continually asserts that the Jamaican track hero was always one step ahead of the American icon owing to the powerful mind games he performed with his rivals.

He was not only the fastest on the grid but also the smartest. Gatlin recounts his participation in the 100-meter and 200-meter races at the World Championships in 2015. Bolt also competed in the same categories, but their heats were different; still, they met in the final rounds of the events.

During the semi-finals of the 100 meters, Gatlin ran the fastest time of 9.77 seconds and quickly became a popular favorite to beat Bolt in the finals. However, his desire was dashed when the Jamaican beat him by 0.01 seconds. He also finished second in the 200-meter finals to Bolt, who ran 0.19 seconds faster. Gatlin recalls his reaction to his defeat at the World Championships, stating:

“I was laying in the bed in the hotel at the World Championships. I woke up, I was like, ‘Damn, he got me.'”

Everyone on the podcast laughed when they heard how Bolt played psychological tricks with the American track icon. The Jamaican icon has always been cryptic about his strategy, and this has remained until the present day. Bolt indicated a few months ago that one athlete on his watch could beat his long-held world record, but he did not go into greater detail.

Usain Bolt shares his prediction on Noah Lyles

In an interview with Citius Mag, the Jamaican icon claimed that Noah Lyles is his choice to smash the 200-meter world record, which has stood since the 2009 World Championships. The same runner also challenged the 19.19-mark at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, achieving an outstanding 19.31-mark.

Bolt believes that would be a challenging aim to fulfill, but Lyles only needs to concentrate on a few specifics, and he will be able to accomplish it. However, the track legend did not share the secrets because he wanted the American sprint star to challenge the world record using his own technique.