"Usain Bolt was the clutch, it was a beautiful moment" - Justin Gatlin on 2012 Olympics 100m final

Justin Gatlin, the 2019 world champion in the 4x100m relay, believes the 2012 Olympics 100m final was the 'renaissance era of sprinting'. He recently became nostalgic, sharing his Olympic story.

Gatlin had competed in the London 2012 men's 100m race, where he got the bronze medal. Jamaica's Usain Bolt grabbed gold in 9.6s, and Yohan Blake took silver.

The former American sprinter in an Instagram video - a new episode of Ready Set Go - said it was amazing. He shared his experience:

"You knew that you were about to make history because of how many people who were lined up, their accolades, they're all there."

Gatlin highlighted the lineup:

You got Yohan. When he's called out, he does the whole beast. Usain over there, he was the clutch. Tyson lined up, myself lined up, Asafa, Ryan Bailey, everybody's there."

He laughed saying:

"I'm running almost to the 50m mark and I'm like, I am winning this. And then the tides change. Usain and Yohan go...and they just take off on me...It was too late by then."

"It was a beautiful moment, man. I definitely enjoyed it."

You can watch the video here:

The former sprinter added:

"You can take each sprinter and their time from this final and they would have individually won an Olympic final from the past."

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Justin Gatlin wants to perfect his 40-yard dash

Gatlin, 42, retired from the sport in 2022. In a social media post, he said he was looking forward to the future.

Justin Gatlin at Ready Steady Tokyo - Athletics Olympic Test Event

The veteran sprinter said:

"I want to live a true legacy that continues to inspire others. Turning one year older and shifting my energies into new endeavors, I hope to continue to inspire those who have supported me."

In 2023, Gatlin announced Project 40, to perfect his 40-yard dash. He told TMZ Sports that he ran 4.2s on the first day of practice. The former sprinter believes he can beat this by a substantial margin. He said:

"I thinking a 4.19. I definitely can dip under the 4.2s, for sure!"

Gatlin said he wants to impart speed agility training for professional athletes. He wants to show the world that they understand speed.