Usain Bolt Tops Out Justin Gatlin Rivalry With Rio 2016 Olympics 100m Gold
Jamaican speedster Usain Bolt finally won his third Olympic 100m gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, pushing out his American rival Justin Gatlin onto the second spot on the podium and coming out on top of their rivalry in Bolt's final Olympics.
Reports indicate that the 29-year-old Bolt clocked out at 9.81 seconds to finish for the gold and repeat his success at the previous 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, earning him the prestige of becoming the first ever Olympic sprinter to garner three 100m titles.
Though the win netted Bolt with an even larger spot in the Olympic hall of fame, the athlete himself was apparently not content with his latest performance. "It wasn't perfect today, but I got it done and I'm pretty proud of what I've achieved," Bolt told reporters. "Nobody else has done it or even attempted it. I expected to go faster, but I'm happy that I won. I did what I had to."
Meanwhile, 34-year-old Gatlin ended up just mere 0.08 seconds behind his rival with Canadian sprinter Andre de Grasse pulling up for the bronze at a personal record of 9.91 seconds.
More than the official honor the win gave him, Bolt's success also marked his coming out on top of his spirited competition with rival Gatlin. As the inhabitants of the top spots of the running world, the two have been literally racing against each other in for the true holder of the title of sprinting royalty; though that rivalry only really stays on the track and field.
It turns out that both Bolt and Gatlin are actually on friendly terms with each other, with their competitiveness including some friendly ribbing that neither really take seriously. For the older Gatlin, Bolt apparently calls him an "old man" in reference to his age. In speedy vengeance, Gatlin calls the younger Bolt, who will also be entering his 30s soon, a "middle-aged man."
Bolt also further picks at Gatlin by pointing out his gray hairs, something the latter points out as simply pertaining to his wisdom. "Everyone always has something to say about my gray hairs," Gatlin said on the subject. "But I say it's not gray-it's my wisdom."
The runners' mothers have also gotten in on the action, though not in the way one might expect the subject of moms to come up in a fight. Bolt's mother Jennifer and Gatlin's mother Jeanette previously met at last year's World Championships; a meeting that has since spawned an ongoing friendship.
Outside of the track, Bolt and Gatlin also share a love of partying; the Jamaican is apparently a regular at Oktoberfest and has gone out with his rival a number of times.
"Bolt has a good time. We are able to relax and have fun outside of track and field," remarked Gatlin. "But when we step on the track, we want to beat each other."