RIO DE JANEIRO — As Usain Bolt churned down the Olympic track, his main rival was trying to get in front of a TV monitor to catch a quick glimpse of the race. ADVERTISING RIO DE JANEIRO — As Usain
RIO DE JANEIRO — As Usain Bolt churned down the Olympic track, his main rival was trying to get in front of a TV monitor to catch a quick glimpse of the race.
Justin Gatlin missed the Jamaican’s first-round heat. That’s OK, the American sprinter has seen plenty of Bolt to know exactly what to expect.
Bolt is a huge favorite to win an unprecedented third straight Olympic title in the 100 meters on Sunday. And that’s despite pulling out of the Jamaican trials last month because of a sore hamstring and wishing he had more races coming into Rio de Janeiro.
It certainly hasn’t changed his focus.
“It’s always to win. That’s what I’m here for,” said Bolt, who was 3-for-3 in races at the 2008 Beijing Games and again four years later in London. “That’s what I’m going for. My focus is to go out there and do my best, and execute well.”
Bolt posted the fourth-fastest time in the first round (10.07 seconds), with Gatlin leading the way (10.01).
Lately, Gatlin is the only one who’s been remotely close to keeping up to Bolt. He nearly beat Bolt during the 100 final at the world championships in Beijing last August, but faltered at the end. The 34-year-old Gatlin was neck-and-neck with the Jamaican, but over-strided with about 15 meters left and went into his lean too early. That paved the way for Bolt to capture gold.
A mistake Gatlin took to heart.
“A win or a loss — they’re all lessons you learn to become a stronger athlete, a stronger human, the next time around,” Gatlin said.
With his doping past, Gatlin has been portrayed as the villain in his rivalry with Bolt, which has become track’s version of “Good vs. Evil.” He doesn’t care what anyone thinks.
“I’ve worked hard like everybody else,” Gatlin said. “I get tested like everyone else. I’m back here. I believe in the system. I hope everybody else believes in the system, too.”
Knocking off Bolt is a tall order. Asked how a sprinter upsets Bolt, veteran Churandy Martina of the Netherlands pondered his response for a moment.
“To beat Bolt? Oh,” said Martina, who didn’t make it out of the first round. “Once he’s in a tight position, he might tense up. But you never know, because he always shows up at the right time and the right moment, which is these games.”
