Amidst various historic moments captured on the track, some of the most poignant ones include Usain Bolt. Throughout his career, the Jamaican has delivered iconic memories that fans have looked back at through photographs. Recently, veterans Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green discussed two such pictures on their podcast, ‘Ready Set Go,’ sparking a debate.
Green recalled the pictures in which photographers perfectly captured Gatlin and Bolt’s expressive selves. While the situations differed, he even noted how they ended up in each other’s pictures, giving hilarious expressions.
Bolt’s photograph was from a rare moment at the 2013 World Championships, where the sprinters battled a storm while competing. As he paced to the finish line with a dominant lead, a lightning bolt struck in the sky to mark the historic victory, and the whole scene made up for a frame-worthy picture.
Meanwhile, Gatlin’s claim to fame came from a redeeming point in his life at the World Championships in 2017. The sprinting icon, who had served two doping bans across his career, finally put an end to his Jamaican counterpart’s reign as he won the title at the time. However, the crowd only saw him as a villain and booed during the award ceremony.
This provoked Gatlin to the point where every athlete was confused and concerned about the situation. The iconic moment emerged when the American sprinter placed a finger on his lips to quieten the crowd booing over his win.
Both victorious moments carry a lot of significance, and Green couldn’t decide which was more impactful.
“The funny thing is, you both are in the background of each other’s pictures…you both posterize each other in those pictures.”
However, Gatlin drew a fair conclusion to the debate when he accepted that while he loved his photograph from 2017, Bolt’s picture was epic. Recalling the 2013 World Championships and how they ended up racing in the storm, it was evident that he had fond memories of the sprint.
The American, along with others at the time, had figured out that they might have to navigate through a storm, expecting rains and a postponement of the competition. However, when authorities called to continue the race, they knew they were signing up for a difficult course.
Amidst the battle of the athletes at the time, what stood out was their love and respect for one another. Ultimately, both Bolt and Gatlin ended their terms with competing and could finally get some break and an iconic photo for each of them to show off.
