Usain Bolt has named one key rival who gave him a run for his money and almost ended his dominance in his glamorous career.
The fastest man alive, Usain Bolt, has shared how Justin Gatlin made him a better athlete, noting that the American was one of his best rivals.
The world 100m record holder noted that Gatlin constantly gave him a run for his money during his last five years of his career. He explained that he loved the competition between himself and the American sprint king, something that made track and field memorable.
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The 37-year-old had also faced tough opposition from the likes of Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake and Wallace Spearmon but it was tow-time Olympic Games silver medallist Gatlin who stood out among his competitors.
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Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, the 200m world record holder admitted that Gatlin pushed him to greater heights and threatened his dominance for a long time. He singled out the sprinter as one who stood out as a worthy rival.
"I think Justin Gatlin, I have to give my hats off to him. The last five years of my career, maybe five six years, it was just me and him, every season and he kept me on my toes, and I love the competition,” he said.
Bolt revealed that the four-time world champion was always mentally prepared for races, something that many sprinters struggled with.
He went down memory lane to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games when he was not motivated to race but a video of Gatlin making rounds about winning the gold medal forced him to pull up his socks and invest time in training.
At the Games, Bolt managed to beat Gatlin but the latter went on to beat Bolt at the 2017 World Championships.
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