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The decorated Jamaican faced intimidation but could not be stopped in his quest to dominate the track.
Three-time Olympic 100m champion Usain Bolt has opened up on the pre-race intimidation from Justin Gatlin during the 2011 IAAF World challenge meeting in Zagreb, Croatia.
The sprinting legend known for his laid back personality, said the disgusting act did not stop him from winning the 100m. Bolt's exploits on the track gained him so many rivals over the years, prompting opponents to resort to the dark arts tactics in an effort to throw him off his game.
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06:30 - 01.11.2024
'It took me a while to understand'- Usain Bolt shares words of wisdom for record-breaking teen sprinter Gout Gout
Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt has shared inspiring words with teen sensation Gout Gout, who recently broke Bolt's record,
Appearing on the High Performance podcast, the Jamaican who also is a three-time Olympic 200m gold medalist, said. “I remember the first time I competed with Justin, he spat across my lane, the first time I met him. We were in, I think it was Zagreb, and we were competing. You know when you warm up and you're running out of your blocks?" he observed.
"I was walking back and he was walking towards me, and he spit across my lane in front of me." Bolt, 38, added that Gatlin's gamesmanship did not prevent him from achieving his target. Bolt went on to win the 100m dash in a personal season's best time of 9.85 seconds on hot and humid conditions in Croatia's capital.
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20:00 - 31.10.2024
Usain Bolt on how he mentally dealt with angish from uncharacteristic 2011 World Championships 100m final blunder
Bolt has revealed how he finally manage to overcome the anguish he experienced from false starting before the final of the 100m at the 2011 World Athletics Championships in Daegu, and has sent an imploring message to modern athletes.
Bolt said he took Gatlin's methods on the chin but vowed to prove him wrong and anger him further by crossing the finish line first. "All that matters is that when we line up and that gun goes, you’d better be ready. Because you're not going to intimidate me by spitting across the lane. I laughed because I knew what he was trying to do, but for me, it doesn't matter."
Bolt then said he understood that was Gatlin's personality and it was hard for him to change. "But that's just who he was and that's how he was wired, because he was in the era before me where it was like that."
The Jamaican star shot to stardom at the 2008 Beijing Games, where he claimed the first of his 100m and 200m crowns, setting new world records in both for the first time along the way
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