Justin Gatlin says he had a separate game plan and strategy to counter Usain Bolt

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Justin Gatlin (left) with Usain Bolt at the 2017 World Championships. (PC: Getty Images)

Justin Gatlin has had an illustrious career, going up against some of the best in the business. From Yohan Blake to Tyson Gay and then Usain Bolt, among other fierce competitors, Justin Gatlin faced some of the top athletes in exploits on the track.

Gatlin's rivalry with Usain Bolt headlined many competitions. While Usain Bolt emerged victorious many a time, Justin Gatlin won the gold medal in the 2017 World Championships, beating Bolt with a time of 9.92 seconds. The win was extra special as it was Gatlin's first gold medal-winning effort after more than a decade.

In a sprint where there is little or no margin for error, it is natural to have athletes push each other to give their best and emerge victorious. Justin Gatlin had to prepare twice as hard for every competition - firstly, for the event and then to beat Usain Bolt.

Read: Justin Gatlin feels Usain Bolt's 100m World Record will be broken by the next generation

In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda ahead of the TCS World 10K in Bengaluru, Justin Gatlin said he had to create a separate training regimen to prepare for Usain Bolt. He said:

"I learned while clashing with Usain through the years that I had to create a whole separate regimen to be able to compete against him. The way I ran a part of my career made me successful. I could beat 99.9% of the world with the way I read, but the fact that the way I read it, you know, I need to be a better runner to be able to compete against that 1%, which was Usain."

Elaborating on his preparations, he added:

"I had to change some strategies, I had to create new strategies, I had to think differently. But it takes, a different kind of athlete, to be able to see that, in themselves and say, 'I got to be better because of this one person.' So I did, I humbled myself and said, 'If I want to be the best, if I want to be able to win on the big stage against this one person, I have to be able to create a whole regimen that's going to cater to that one person.'"

I had to focus on the back of the race and the finish line: Justin Gatlin on changing his preparations

Justin Gatlin had a simple game plan when it came to events. The legendary American sprinter would get off the blocks in a split second and then go on to take an early lead and win the race.

However, he had to change things with the arrival and domination of Usain Bolt. The change in his race plan in the 100m event worked for Justin Gatlin just once, at the World Championships in 2017, which was incidentally Bolt's last race.

Speaking about the change in his game plan, Gatlin stated it was just enough for him to clinch the gold medal at the World Championships in 2017. He explained:

"No, it wasn't too taxing. I mean, it was just enough to be able to get the victory, and in 2017. But it was different, you know, because my strategy was always to get out of the blocks, lead from the front and just command the race, which I could do and normally beat everybody in the world."

"But, having someone who was six, five, with a longer inseam than myself, and just as powerful, I had to start a whole different strategy. I had to not just focus on the front of the race, I had to focus on the back of the race and the finish line, to be aware that if he's coming, we'll have to be able to run them down and be able to dive to the finish line at the right time."

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