GATLIN HAS THE ILLUSION THAT HE IS GETTING CLOSER TO BOLT

You have to hand it to Justin Gatlin. No matter how many times he gets beat he keeps coming back. No matter how many times he falls he keeps getting back up, dusting himself off and getting back into the game. Those are the hallmarks of a true champion.

After being edged by Bolt in the 100m in Beijing and being dusted by the iconic Jamaican in the 200 metres, Gatlin claims he is getting closer and believes that next year in Rio could be his shot at finally getting one over on Bolt in a major championship. To be fair Gatlin did beat Bolt back in 2005 at the World Championships in Helsinki. It was during the final of the 200m and Bolt, running out of lane one, pulled up down the stretch to finish last as Gatlin went on to claim the sprint double.

Many people don’t remember those times when Bolt was struggling with transitioning from junior to senior athlete. Few also remember Bolt’s first outing at the Olympics in Athens in 2004 when he failed to advance past the first round of the 200m but that seems like such a long, long time ago. Since 2008, the only person to beat Bolt in global competition is Bolt, and that was when he false-started in the final of the 100 metres in Daegu in 2011.

But back to my original thought; Gatlin is right about one thing, he is getting closer to Bolt but not because of anything he has been doing. Notwithstanding, his phenomenal season when he clocked 9.74, 9.75 twice, 9.77 and 9.78, the only reason why the American has been closer to Bolt, 0.01 seconds in Beijing this past summer, is only because Bolt has not been at his best. Gatlin however, has been at his best. With that in mind, the best that Gatlin can hope for is that he will be again at his best in Rio and that Bolt won’t be.

Bolt at his best is still far away from everyone else. After two very challenging years overcoming foot surgery and injury, Bolt was perhaps in the best shape he has been in since 2009 but he wasn’t in world record shape. It was not for the lack of trying however. Bolt worked hard leading up to Beijing but his primary focus was on getting his speed up to par. Based on the information I had, Bolt was ready to run 9.6 seconds in Beijing, but he lacked a few races going in. Had he had those races, the final would not have been close. Gatlin would not have to worry about making ‘mistakes’ because he would have been a metre behind Bolt at the finish instead of inches.

Bolt proved that in the 200m. After getting some races in in the 100 metres Gatlin was no match for Bolt. He came off the curve behind the Jamaica and was unable to keep pace. Bolt won by almost 0.2 seconds despite easing down as he approached the tape to win in 19.55s, the fastest time in the world this year.

All things being equal it will be the same in Rio. Bolt wants to bow out in a blaze of glory and knowing him he will be training harder and smarter than ever to get himself into the kind o shape that will see him challenging his own world records. He has said he wants to break 19 seconds for the 200 metres.

If he can manage to stay healthy, avoiding pelvic, back or hamstring issues. If he manages to maintain his healthy eating and going to bed earlier as he says he has been doing over the past year, and if he can get through Mills’ intensive training programme, get the necessary races he needs leading up to the national championships next June and then to Rio in August, Gatlin will discover than the illusion that he is getting closer to Bolt, is only just that; an illusion.

He will, like the rest of the best sprinters in the world, discover that a healthy and fit Bolt is virtually invincible.