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The 2004 OIympic 100m champiom suffered a hamstring injury during the USATF trials for the delayed 2020 Tokyo games, which left him with no choice but to retire unconventionally.
Former American sprinter Justin Gatlin has revealed the agony he had to face after realising his 2021 Olympics dream was over due to a hamstring injury he picked during the USATF trials.
Gatlin intended to retire that season, with those delayed Olympics in Tokyo, Japan set to be his last before calling time on his 20-year career which was overshadowed by controversy.
The 42-year old made the revelation in a tell-it-all chat with Asafa Powell and Maurice Green on the Ready Set Go podcast, where they talked about a range of issues including having to race while half fit at major championships.
Gatlin, who won the 2017 100m World Athletics championships in London after having to manage a rolled ankle injury for the better part of that year, revealed how an unexpected hamstring injury at the trials ended his hopes of delivering a second Olympic gold medal
“In the 2021 Olympic trials semis, I tweaked my hamstring five meters to the finish line. It was a situation where I had to return for the finals 45 minutes later. As soon as I grabbed my hamstring, I knew that was it,” Gatlin said.
“I went back to the warm up area, looked at Dennis in his face and I was like ‘I tweaked my hamstring’ and he was like ‘for real’?
Gatlin had been hoping for a repeat of the 2013 World Championships in Moscow and the 2016 Olympic games, where he suffered injuries before the races but managed to race in pain, but the nature of the injury meant his hopes of bowing out in style ended.
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19:49 - 16.07.2024
Justin Gatlin & Asafa Powell reflect on when they both held the 100m world record at the same time
Gatlin and Powell have reflected back on their rivalry as sprinters, including the time they both held the world record in the 100 metres back in the mid 2000s.
“Time and time, you will go through rounds and thug it up. There was a time between 2013 and 16 when I put an ice bandage on it and went out there and did it. When we had to lose I would say ’let us go out there and see what happens’.
“I know I got on the table and tried to see if it was a cramp or something I could work out but the therapist looked at me and said ‘I don’t know bro’. But what can I do?
“Either pull out or either get on the line and see what I can get.”
Gatlin would retire at the 2021 Kip Keino classic around two months later.
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