London, 2017. The world held its breath. For the first time in nearly a decade, Usain Bolt wasn’t the first to cross the finish line in a global 100-meter final. Justin Gatlin, the man who had chased him for years, finally won the World Championships(WC). Yet, instead of celebration, Gatlin turned and bowed to Bolt. But it wasn’t always like this. Their rivalry had been ruthless, a clash of dominance and defiance. Bolt had defeated Gatlin on the biggest stages. And the 2015 WC was no different but it was indeed very interesting. This time, it wasn’t just about speed, but it was mind games that made all the difference!

Bolt found himself in an unfamiliar position at the 2015 World Championships! Bolt wasn’t the outright favorite heading into a global championship. He was the underdog. What? Hard to believe but true! A hamstring injury in 2014 had robbed him of nine weeks of training, and after surgery, he had only one individual race that season—an indoor 100m in Warsaw, where he clocked 9.98 seconds. Fast forward to 2015, and his comeback had been anything but dominant. His fastest time of the season? 9.87 seconds. Good, but not ‘Bolt good.’

Meanwhile, Justin Gatlin was in the form of his life. The American sprinter had been untouchable all year, clocking 9.74 seconds in the 100m and a blistering 19.57 in the 200m. He had dipped under 9.8 seconds four times—something probably no one else had managed. The numbers were clear: Gatlin was the man to beat! Bolt wasn’t sure going into the finals, but Usain Bolt noticed something! And needless to say, he made full use of it!

In the warm-up area, Bolt, who was sitting just two chairs away from Gatlin, heard something unusual from Gatlin. “Throughout the years of competing, Justin has never said anything to me before a championship. Never! He has never said anything to me.” Bolt recalled on the Ready Set Podcast on February 27. Bolt didn’t remember the exact words, but it was something like, “Yo, you ready to go?” That was all it took. “And I looked at him like, huh? I was surprised because I didn’t expect him to say that. I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, cool.” 

Then Gatlin spoke again. And that’s when it clicked to Usain. “And I was like, ah, shit. He’s nervous. And that helped because now I know he’s nervous. I’m nervous.” Also for the first time in their rivalry, Bolt was the one playing catch-up. He was the one chasing Gatlin.“Remember, I ain’t running shit all season. This is the first time I’ve ever been in the season. I’m the one doing the chasing. We’re always either together or he’s chasing me. This is the first season I’m the one chasing him.”

And yet, in that moment, he realized something crucial—if Gatlin had been truly confident, he wouldn’t have spoken at all.“Because if he was confident in going in there like, oh, this is like his normal days, I would have been in trouble. But he was nervous…..We’re good. We’re good. That gave me a little bit more confidence going in.” It did give him confidence! Jamaican took a gold medal at China with 9.79, pipping Gatlin by just 0.01 seconds. Just the width of a vest separated them!

But this wasn’t the only time when they shared such a sprint!

Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin rivalry had it all

They were like the fire and the ice. One, the larger-than-life showman, arms spread wide like a king claiming his throne. The other, the relentless challenger, forever chasing but never backing down!

Gatlin had the world at his feet in 2004, an Olympic champion before Bolt had even exploded onto the scene. Then, scandal struck. In 2006, officials banned Gatlin for testing positive for steroids. He was banned for four years. Gatlin called it sabotage, blaming his therapist for the issue. Then Bolt emerged!

Thus, Gatlin was gone for now, serving a suspension that had nearly ended his career. In his absence, a new force emerged. Bolt lined up in the Olympic final as a rising star, but what happened next left the world stunned. He crushed the field, slowing down before the finish line and still breaking the world record—9.69 seconds. It was Bolt’s kingdom now!

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Gatlin slowly made his way back into the sport, and by London 2012, he was back on the biggest stage. But Bolt? He was bigger than ever. The final was electric, Gatlin exploded out of the blocks, leading early. But the last 50 meters belonged to Bolt. Like a panther chasing down its prey, he surged ahead, crossing the line in 9.63 seconds, an Olympic record. Gatlin had to settle for bronze.

Then, in June 2013, in Rome, at Roma Golden Gals the unthinkable happened—Gatlin finally beat Bolt. It wasn’t an Olympic final, but for the American, it was a breakthrough. He clocked 9.94 seconds, edging out Bolt’s 9.95. The win was small, but Gatlin officially reignited the rivalry.

Then came 2015! This was supposed to be Gatlin’s moment. He had spent two years almost unbeaten, running faster times than Bolt. The Jamaican looked out of shape, struggling with injuries. But champions don’t just disappear. In the world championship final, Gatlin was ahead, meters away from victory. And then—the stumble. He tightened up, his form broke, and in the blink of an eye, Bolt was ahead. By 0.01 seconds.

A year later, the Olympics rolled around, and Gatlin had another shot. He exploded from the blocks in the final, Bolt lagging initially. But then—those giant strides. Bolt reeled him in, passed him effortlessly, and took gold in 9.81 seconds. Gatlin? Silver again. The world thought the rivalry was over.

But the 2017 WC, was the end of an era—Bolt’s last race. The stadium roared, and the world watched. But fate had other plans. Gatlin, now 35, ran his best race in years, holding off a rising Christian Coleman and finally beating Bolt.