In one of the most nail-biting 100-meter finals in history, Usain Bolt edged out Justin Gatlin by just 0.01 seconds at the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing. Bolt clocked 9.79 seconds, Gatlin finished at 9.80, and the bronze was shared by Trayvon Bromell and Andre De Grasse, both at 9.92.
For Bolt, it was yet another legendary chapter in his sprinting dominance. But for Gatlin, it was a heartbreak that still lingers nearly a decade later.
Losing to Bolt
In a recent interview on the Track World News YouTube channel, Olympic champion Justin Gatlin opened up about what that loss meant to him.
When asked about defeats that stuck with him, he immediately pointed to two races: one at the 2004 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, where he finished eighth, and the 2015 final against Bolt.
“2015, man, losing to Bolt,” Justin Gatlin recalled.
“Going through that whole season, running 9.7 after 9.7, slowing at the finish line in the semis, and then getting to the finals, running stride for stride with Usain.”
Despite being picked by many as the favorite, he had missed the top spot by the narrowest of margins.
“I knew it was going to be mortifying going through that media gauntlet,” he admitted.
“I’m usually that clutch athlete. I wasn’t that clutch athlete on that day.”
The Tears Nobody Saw
Gatlin spoke of walking up to the post-race interviews with a forced composure, already rehearsing the typical sportsmanlike answers.
“‘It just wasn’t my day. Usain is a great athlete.’ You have to give praise to the athletes who get the job done, right?”
But deep down, Justin Gatlin was in pieces.
“Once I got in that service car to go back to the hotel — man, I cried like a baby.”
“It just wasn’t my time to win,” Gatlin reflected.
Rivals on the Track, Respect Beyond It
The 2015 final was just one chapter in one of track and field’s most fascinating rivalries. From the moment Bolt burst onto the scene at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, shattering world records, to Gatlin’s return from a four-year suspension, their head-to-head battles carried tension, drama, and high stakes.
At the 2012 London Olympics, Gatlin was back, chasing gold, but it was Bolt again who claimed it, while Gatlin settled for bronze. The showdown everyone waited for, though, came at the 2017 World Championships in London.
In a stunning upset, a 35-year-old Gatlin outran Bolt in what was Bolt’s final individual 100m race, clocking 9.92 seconds to claim gold. Bolt, having the slowest start reaction of the day, finished third.
The crowd’s reaction was mixed. While some celebrated Justin Gatlin’s win, others couldn’t look past his doping history. Yet, in a moment that summed up their rivalry, Bolt walked over and shook Gatlin’s hand.
Both athletes have consistently spoken of their mutual respect.
