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The 2004 Olympic champion has condemned the act of putting pressure on young sprinters like Gout Gout by comparing them to the likes of Usain Bolt.
Justin Gatlin has slammed the idea of putting pressure on upcoming athletes to emulate legendary sprinters like double world record holder Usain Bolt.
In recent days, Australian sprinter Gout Gout has been likened to Bolt, the world record-holder in the 100m and 200m but Gatlin believes it’s up to the athlete to decide who he wants to be like and not the masses.
He explained that Bolt remains to be one of the greatest sprinters and no one might be able to be like him. He went down memory lane to 2004 when Bolt set the 200m world junior record at the CARIFTA Games in Bermuda.
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11:18 - 05.09.2024
Karsten Warholm reveals how not listening to Usain Bolt’s advise cost him victory against Mondo Duplantis
Multiple world 400n hurdles champion Karsten Warholm has shared how he received sprinting advise from Usain Bolt ahead of his exhibition race with Mondo Duplantis but still lost.
He became the first junior sprinter to run the 200m in under twenty seconds, taking the world junior record outright with a time of 19.93 seconds, something that Gatlin believes might never be replicated.
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Gatlin explained that such comparisons put young athletes under a lot of pressure that forces them to act and be like the stars who are very different from the current crop of sprinters.
“Looking at what Bolt did and not taking anything away from Gout Gout or anybody else, that’s right, that’s doing their thing right now and dominating. When Bolt was a junior, he had the junior world record which at that point in time, in 2004, and this dude ran 19 low nine. 19.93 was his record and if you put that against these guys today, he is eclipsing them,” Gatlin said on his Ready Set Go podcast.
“To say that this person is the next and that person is the next, I feel like we give the microphone to the bandwagoners. Stop putting these young athletes on a path that comes with a lot of stress, comes with a lot of pressure. Let them go out there and develop themselves. If anything, let them say, ‘No, I’m Gout Gout, I’m about to be different, I’m Tebogo, I’m about to be different.’” he added.
He added that fans might want to liken athletes to different stars but they should allow the youngsters to be themselves and craft their own paths to greatness.
“I understand that you want to give them a measure that they are going to be great just like a certain individual which is cool and everything but don’t tell them the way their path is going to go,” he added.
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04:30 - 06.09.2024
'It’s all about taking risks' – Letsile Tebogo backs aggressive approach after beating Kenny Bednarek & Erriyon Knighton
Letsile Tebogo showcased his class with a thrilling victory over Kenny Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton, emphasizing a bold strategic approach.
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