"I can never forget"- Usain Bolt opens up about a surprising incident while competing against Justin Gatlin for the first time

Modified Mar 04, 2025 04:00 GMT

Usain Bolt opened up about a surprising incident while competing against Justin Gatlin for the first time at the World Challenge Meeting in Zagreb, Croatia. The Jamaican athlete expressed how Gatlin spit across his lane while they were doing their warm-up strides before lining up for the race.

The rivalry between Justin Gatlin and Usain Bolt has been one of the most followed rivalries on the track in the sprinting events. Even though Bolt has overpowered Gatlin multiple times, the Jamaican athlete has been vocal about the fact that the American played a pivotal role in helping him put forth his best performance due to the fierce competition. Justin Gatlin defeated Bolt in his last race in the 100m at the World Athletics Championships.

The two athletes met after a long time and discussed tales from their times on the track in the podcast 'Ready Set Go'. While recalling their first race together, Usain Bolt opened up about an incident that he would never forget. He revealed how Gatlin spat across his lane to intimidate him before the race, however, the Jamaican athlete was unbothered.

And I can never forget, I ran out, I was coming back and he's walking. He knows he's walking, he does. And he kind of spat across my lane, and I looked up, and I smiled because I understood that he's just trying to intimidate me, but I'm not worried about you right now,” he added. (1:03 onwards)

“Listen, bro. I can never forget, man, it was Zagreb,” he added.

After Bolt's confession, Justin Gatlin apologized to the Jamaican athlete for his actions and revealed that it was not intentional, as he was completely focused on his race.

When Justin Gatlin opened up about Usain Bolt's impact on his performance

Justin Gatlin and Usain Bolt at the 16th IAAF World Athletics Championships London 2017 - Day Two - Source: Getty

Justin Gatlin spoke about Usain Bolt's impact on his performance in an interview at the TCS World 10K event in 2022. The American athlete revealed how Bolt helped him to become a better athlete and helped the sport grow to a bigger level.

Moreover, Gatlin said that their fierce competition made it very exciting for him to compete and push his limits on the track.

“After we left the sport, there was a realization that Bolt helped me become a better athlete, and vice-versa. Bolt even went on record to say that I pushed him (to get better), especially at a point when he felt like the sport did not excite him. It was exciting for me to go up against Bolt," he said.

Furthermore, he revealed that Bolt's records and great performances motivated him to work harder and reach greater heights as an athlete.