Sprint legends Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin reunited on the Ready Set Go podcast with track icon Rodney Green, reflecting on their legendary rivalry and the 2015 World Championships in Beijing.
Bolt, an eight-time Olympic gold medalist, shared a rare moment before the 100m final when he realized Gatlin was nervous, which gave him the confidence boost he needed.
🔹 Bolt on Gatlin’s nerves:
“I don’t remember what he said, but I looked at him like, ‘Huh!?’ I was surprised because I didn’t expect him to say anything. Then he said something else, and I thought, ‘Oh sht, he’s nervous!’ That helped me because now I knew—he’s nervous, I’m nervous—but I’ve been chasing him all season.”*
The race ended in a photo finish, with Bolt winning in 9.79 seconds, just 0.01 seconds ahead of Gatlin (9.80s). This victory made him the third sprinter in history to win three 100m world titles, joining Carl Lewis and Maurice Greene.
Bolt also dominated the 200m final, clocking 19.55 seconds, his fifth-fastest time ever, before anchoring Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team to another gold medal, completing his triple gold haul in Beijing.
A decade later, Bolt and Gatlin’s rivalry remains one of the greatest in track and field history.
