On 15th. May 2015 Justin Gatlin improved his personal best to 9.74 (+0.9m/s) at the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix.
He therefore went to the World Championships in Beijing with reason to believe he could recapture the 100 metres
title he won in 2005. Usain Bolt had other ideas, but as the two photographs above show (and their finish times)
it sure was a close thing. The defending champion had to produce a season best time and as Gatlin lost his
rhythm in the last few strides the Jamaican and defending champion just won.
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
Usain |
BOLT |
JAM |
9.79 |
SB |
2.
|
Justin |
GATLIN |
USA |
9.80 |
|
| 3.= |
Trayvon |
BROMELL |
USA |
9.92 |
|
| 3=. |
Andre |
DE GRASSE
|
CAN |
9.92 |
PB |
| 5. |
Mike
|
RODGERS |
USA |
9.94 |
|
| 6. |
Tyson |
GAY |
USA |
10.00 |
|
| 7. |
Asafa |
POWELL |
JAM |
10.00 |
|
| 8. |
Jimmy |
VICUAT
|
FRA |
10.00 |
|
| 9. |
Bingtian |
SU |
CHN |
10.06 |
|
A somewhat perplexed Justin walks away from the finish wondering what might have been ?
A year later at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games Usain was supreme not only winning the 100m but
also the 200. In the 200 metres Justin Gatlin eased off in his semi final (20.13) and paid the price.
He did not qualify for the final
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro.
100 metres men's final.
1.
|
Usain Bolt |
Jamaica |
9.81 |
SB |
| 2. |
Justin Gatlin |
United States |
9.89 |
|
| 3. |
Andre De Grasse |
Canada |
9.91 |
PB |
| 4. |
Yohan Blake |
Jamaica |
9.93 |
SB |
| 5. |
Akani Simbine |
South Africa |
9.94 |
|
6.
|
Ben Youssef Meïté |
Ivory Coast |
9.96 |
NR |
| 7. |
Jimmy Vicaut |
France |
10.04 |
|
| 8. |
Trayvon Bromell |
United States |
10.06 |
|