“Hopefully, let’s wait and see what’s in store for the new season.” On September 18, 2021, Justin Gatlin said this after he raced the final 100 meters of his professional career. Clearly, retirement wasn’t his plan. He hadn’t even achieved the results he expected in the race, coming third in 10.03. Also, he’d just returned from an injury. But alas, that turned out to be his last. However, now, 4 years down the line, it’s happening. Yes, fans, keep an eye on the track because he’s coming back!

At 43 years old, can Justin Gatlin run sub-10s? Well, this won’t be a hypothetical question anymore. Because it’s really happening! When Justin Gatlin ran his last race at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, he was already 39. But he had no intentions of hanging his boots. “Next season is fast coming up and I will need to sit down with my coach Dennis Mitchell to have a game plan,” he’d said. While he couldn’t make that comeback at 40 years old, he’s giving himself another chance now at 43.

Yes, on June 27, Track World News added an update stating that on his podcast, Ready Set Go, Justin Gatlin mentioned that he is coming out of his retirement and making a track comeback. Shocking right? Well, that’s not it. He is ready to challenge iShowSpeed and Tyreek Hill, as well as chase the Masters 100m World Record. This certainly is no small deal. It’s a very rare and surprising announcement. But it’s true.

On the Ready Set Go podcast, Justin Gatlin announced, “I’m making an announcement right now. I’m going to start training. So we’re going to be ready for the 40-meter. We’re going to be ready for these street races against Speed. We’re going to be ready against Tyreek if he says something.” He confidently boasted, “I am going to be the master of the masters.” Now this is truly ambitious of the 5-time Olympic medal winner Justin Gatlin! Looks like he is on a mission to redefine the notions of longevity in athletics!

Well, Gatlin himself is currently the men’s age 35 World Record holder in the 100m. When he was 37, he ran 9.87s at the 2019 Prefontaine Classic to clinch the same. While he presently holds that record, he is now aiming for the men’s age 40 World Record too, held by Kim Collins at 9.93s. The last time Gatlin ran a 9,93 second time was at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic itself, three races before he retired. But can he return to that form? Well, Collin might think so. Here’s what he had told Gatlin ran his last race….

Justin Gatlin has a warning for Kim Collins

Justin Gatlin voiced a bold statement on the latest episode of the Ready Set Go podcast. When Rodney Green said that if Gatlin ran fast enough, he could have the world record over Kim Collins, Gatlin said, “Give me a little prep time. I’m Batman right now.” He sounded very confident that with little practice, he could take down Collins’ record.

Justin Gatlin said, “Kim Collins is 9.93 actually. When I went out there and ran my time, my last race, when I was like 39, 40 years old, Kim texted me, was like, thank you so much for not breaking my record. Happy retirement.” But that thank-you message may have come too soon. Gatlin, now 43 years old, seems serious about giving Collins a run for his money! If anyone can challenge a record like that in their 40s, it’s the man who’s been a force in sprinting for over two decades.

With more veteran athletes making comebacks, Gatlin could be next to make headlines. Maybe we’ll see one last big sprint from him. But do you think he can pull this off at 43? Let us know below!