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Justin Gatlin and the USA Track and Field Olympic Team have been synonymous for well over a decade now. A young 22-year-old Gatlin dashed past his opponents from the third lane to win the men's 100m race by clocking 9.85 seconds in the 2004 Athens Olympics, just a hundredth of a second behind the Olympic Record at that time.
Gatlin also helped the USA complete the 200m sweep by picking up a bronze medal and was part of the men's 4x100 relay team that came second. At the 2005 World Championships, he became the second person ever to complete the 100m and 200m double.
A four-year doping ban from 2006 to 2010 derailed Gatlin's momentum, with his return coinciding with the rise of Usain Bolt. The Jamaican's head-to-head streak against Gatlin finally came to an end at the 2017 World Championships, with the American taking home the gold and Bolt finishing third.
Also Read: Usain Bolt picks his rightful heir for Tokyo Olympics 2020
When Bolt announced his retirement post-the-event, many expected Gatlin to be the favorite for the men's 100m race at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. However, age withered him down and he missed the bus to the quadrennial extravaganza this time around.
At the US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021, Gatlin came second in the heats and third in the semi-finals. However, he limped across the finish line after pulling his hamstring muscle in the finals, thereby shattering his ambitions to become the oldest man to compete at the men's 100m race in the Olympics.
The 39-year-old has the Diamond League meets and the World Championships in 2022 to prove his mettle. But, in all probability, Gatlin won't participate in the Olympics any further.
What are the USA's chances in the men's 100m and 200m races without Justin Gatlin?
Gatlin's absence shouldn't deter the USA's chances of winning a gold medal in the aforementioned two events. In the 100m race, the trio of Trayvon Bromell, Ronnie Baker, and Fred Kerley will represent the country at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Bromell holds the current world-leading time of 9.77 seconds, while Baker and Kerley have their season's best at 9.85 and 9.86 seconds respectively. The South African duo of Akani Simbine (season's best of 9.84 seconds) and Tlotliso Leotlela (season's best of 9.94 seconds) alongside Jamaica's Yohan Blake (season's best of 9.95 seconds) are the only credible challengers for a podium finish.
Kenny Bednarek, Erriyon Knighton, and Noah Lyles will represent the USA in the men's 200m race. They have a season's best timing of 19.74 seconds, 19.78 seconds, and 19.84 seconds respectively, with Bednarek also holding the current world-leading time. Only Nigeria's Divine Oduduru, Canada's Andre de Grasse, and Liberia's Joseph Fahnbulleh have run sub-20 races so far this season.
Also Read: Top five male contenders for 100m title at Tokyo Olympics
Given USA's dominance in the sprint races, it won't be a surprise if they win the men's 4x100m relay race as well. Jamaica's dominance in the men's sprint events seems to be finally ending and the USA are set to regain their lost glory. And all this is happening without Justin Gatlin.
