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Justin Gatlin recently reacted to Kenny Bednarek putting forward an incredible performance at the Doha Diamond League 2024 in the 200m, clocking 19.67s and setting the World Lead in this Olympic season. Bednarek also broke the meet record, previously set by Noah Lyles.
Gatlin was impressed by the American's effort, as the 200m just got more competitive than ever. The United States 200m line-up at the upcoming U.S. Olympic trials will feature some of the fastest 200m runners like Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, Erriyon Knighton, Christian Coleman, and Fred Kerley. All of them will compete for a spot in the U.S. Olympics team in a bid to represent the country at the Paris Olympics.
Justin Gatlin took to X to share his astonishment at Kenny Bednarek's Doha Diamond League 2024 performance.
"Opening at 19.6 yikes," he wrote.
With the Olympic season just taking shape, the former World Champion was surprised by such a fast race early in the season. This is a testament to how fast and competitive sprinting could get at the coveted Olympic games.
Justin Gatlin opens up on the huge competition in the United States at the Olympic Trials
The United States Olympic trials are considered to be one of the toughest trials before the quadrennial games. The race features some of the fastest athletes in the world in contention for a spot in the Olympic team where they are separated by milliseconds.
Justin Gatlin opened up on the huge competition in the U.S. on his podcast "Ready Set Go" while discussing comparisons with the U.K.
"The crazy thing is America is such a revolving door. So you'll see one crazy talent leave and then the other one comes into the group. You know, I mean you never, you always have to be on your game. USA is the only country where you can run 9.9 and watch the Olympics from home. Olympic trials always gave me more anxiety than going to the real Olympics," he said.
Gatlin affirmed that it is imperative to stay on top of one's game to remain dominant in the U.S. as several other athletes are waiting to clinch the top spot. Justin Gatlin advocates for the growth of track and field and believes that the sport should get the traction received by other major sports like the NBA and the NFL.
