Justin Gatlin apparently let his friend keep a record to himself! It is a well-known fact that Gatlin has a close bond with the Kittian track and field athlete Kim Collins. Collins has been one of the biggest inspirations of the community. Boasting 5 bronze and a gold at the Worlds, the 47-year-old has marveled the world with every step he took. He also competed at 5 Olympics till the age of 40, which inspired the likes of Gatlin himself to continue grinding. 

However, having won 5 Olympic medals, Gatlin could not break a record that is solemnly owned by Collins. And surprisingly, Collins himself did not want the American sprinter to get past his record as well! 

Sprinters collide over records as Gatlin faces retirement request at 40

As speed continues to reign supreme in the tracks, records are meant to be shattered. A tale of rivalry and a quest for greatness emerged between the two legendary sprinters while Collins expressed a fervent plea to Gatlin requesting him to retire before reaching his 40s. Kim Collins holds the jaw-dropping 100m world record of clocking 9.93 seconds at the age of 40. 

Michael Johnson reminding Gatlin of the same said, “One person did not want Gatlin to run in his 40s”. Gatlin said, “He sent me a message in 2021, I was 39. He said, hey ‘if you’re going to retire it’ll be a great time for you to retire because I would like to be able to keep my record at 40’”.

Responding with grace and humility, Gatlin replied, “I respect your wishes, we’ve battled a long time and I think this is the place I’m gonna exit right now, so more power to you”. The competitive spirit between the two athletes also reflected the delicate balance between ambition and respect in the pursuit of athletic glory. However, the mutual respect between Gatlin and Collins dates back to when the US sprinter was just 34 years old.

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Justin Gatlin took inspiration from Kim Collins

After the Rio Olympics, Gatlin considered the thought of quitting the track. However, he then stumbled upon Kim Collins, who ran a record 9.93s at the age of 40 in Germany. Taking a leaf out of his book, Gatlin, at 39 years of age, participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Speaking about his St. Kitts and Nevis counterpart after equaling Collins’ 9.93s feat at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea Diamond League  Gatlin stated, “He inspires me….” 

Gatlin further doubled down saying that watching someone like Collins putting in all the hard work at 40 opens the doors for others as well. Collins’ grit speaks volumes about the extent one can go if they truly love the sport they are pursuing. 

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