No-one likes a party pooper, and as of last night Justin Gatlin might just have officially become the biggest party pooper in Athletics history. Successfully snatching the gold medal in the much-anticipated 100m final of the World Championships, Gatlin robbed both the mercurial Usain Bolt of a victory in his final individual race and the passionate crowd at the London Stadium of their storybook happy ending.
No stranger to playing the villain, Gatlin, who has not-once but twice been banned for doping, received a rather intense chorus of boos throughout the Championships. Crossing the line first with 21-year-old compatriot Christian Coleman taking second, Gatlin’s victory – and, more vitally, Bolt’s lack of a victory – was met with a stunned silence.
Stealing both the gold medal and thunder from Usain Bolt’s grand goodbye, one couldn’t help but feel this was a rather anti-climactic ending to the career of one of the world’s greatest athletes.
Despite Bolt’s career ending with a whimper as opposed to the expected bang, we can’t see the world-record holder being too beside himself. Especially considering that rumours indicate Puma are looking to make the sprinter the head of its Caribbean side of business once he does decide to retire. That, you know, and the 19 gold medals he already likely has strewn about his home.
