Justin Gatlin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Justin Gatlin

Gatlin in 2009
Personal information
Born	(1982-02-10) February 10, 1982 (age 43) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Height	6 ft 1 in
Weight	183 lb
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	Sprints
College team	University of Tennessee Volunteers
Team	Nike
Coached by	Dennis Mitchell
Retired	2022
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	60 m: 6.45 (Boston 2003) 100 m: 9.74 (Doha 2015) 200 m: 19.57 (Eugene 2015)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing the  United States Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 2 2 World Championships 4 6 0 World Indoor Championships 2 0 0 World Athletics Relays 2 1 0 Event 1st 2nd 3rd 60 m 2 0 0 100 m 3 4 1 200 m 1 1 1 4×100 m relay 3 4 0 Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens 100 m Silver 2004 Athens 4×100 m relay Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m Bronze 2004 Athens 200 m Bronze 2012 London 100 m World Championships Gold 2005 Helsinki 100 m Gold 2005 Helsinki 200 m Gold 2017 London 100 m Gold 2019 Doha 4×100 m relay Silver 2013 Moscow 100 m Silver 2013 Moscow 4×100 m relay Silver 2015 Beijing 100 m Silver 2015 Beijing 200 m Silver 2017 London 4×100 m relay Silver 2019 Doha 100 m World Indoor Championships Gold 2003 Birmingham 60 m Gold 2012 Istanbul 60 m World Athletics Relays Gold 2015 Nassau 4×100 m relay Gold 2017 Nassau 4×100 m relay Silver 2019 Yokohama 4×100 m relay Diamond League Winner 2013 100 m Winner 2014 100 m Winner 2015 100 m

Justin Alexander Gatlin (born February 10, 1982) is a retired American sprinter. He competed in short races like the 60 meters, 100 meters, and 200 meters. Justin Gatlin won the 100 meters at the 2004 Olympics. He also became a World Champion in the 100 meters in 2005 and 2017. In 2005, he won the 200 meters World Championship. In 2019, he was part of the team that won the 4 x 100 meters relay World Championship.

Justin Gatlin also won the 60 meters World Indoor Championship in 2003 and 2012. He has won 5 Olympic medals and 12 World Championship medals. At the World Athletics Relays, he earned two gold medals in the 4 x 100 meters relay in 2015 and 2017. Gatlin is also a 3-time Diamond League Champion in the 100 meters, winning in 2013, 2014, and 2015.

His fastest time in the 100 meters is 9.74 seconds. This makes him one of the fastest sprinters ever. He retired from the sport in 2022 on his 40th birthday.

Justin Gatlin's Early Career and Challenges

High School and College Years

Justin Gatlin went to Woodham High School in Pensacola, Florida. There, he started as a hurdler. Coaches from the University of Tennessee noticed his talent. They offered him a scholarship and trained him to become a sprinter. In 2001, during his first year at Tennessee, Gatlin won NCAA titles in both the 100 and 200 meters.

Facing Rule Violations

After his freshman year, Gatlin faced a challenge. He was banned from international races for two years by the IAAF. This happened after he failed a drug test. Gatlin explained that the positive test was due to medicine he had taken since childhood for attention deficit disorder. Because of his explanation, the ban was reduced to one year. He could still compete in college races, winning four more NCAA titles. However, these college wins do not count for his international records.

After his second year in college, Gatlin decided to become a professional athlete. He moved to Florida to train with a new coach, Trevor Graham.

Justin Gatlin's Professional Journey

Becoming a World Indoor Champion in 2003

In his first indoor season as a professional, Gatlin won the national 60 meters title in Boston. His time was 6.45 seconds, a personal best. Two weeks later, he won his first world title at the 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham. He finished the race in 6.46 seconds.

Soon after, Gatlin injured his hamstring. This meant he missed the 2003 National Championships and the World Championships in Paris. On August 15, he ran the 100 meters in under ten seconds for the first time, with a time of 9.97 seconds. To get ready for the next year's Olympic Games in Athens, Gatlin skipped the 2004 indoor season.

Winning Olympic Gold in 2004

Gatlin's plan worked well. He qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He finished second in both the 100 and 200 meters at the Olympic Trials. The next month, Gatlin made history. He won the Olympic 100 meter title in 9.85 seconds. This was his new personal best. The race was very close, with other sprinters finishing just fractions of a second behind him.

In the 200 meters, Gatlin won a bronze medal. American runners swept the podium, taking all three medals. He also won a silver medal as part of the 4 × 100 meters relay team. In late 2004, Gatlin graduated from the University of Tennessee.

Double World Champion in 2005

After winning an Olympic title, Gatlin was a top contender for the 100 meter title at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki. He won both the 100 and 200 meters at the 2005 National Championships. This was his first time winning national outdoor titles. He won the 100 meters in 9.88 seconds. His winning gap of 0.17 seconds was the largest in World Championship 100m history.

Gatlin also won the 200 meters. This made him only the second man ever to win both events at a single World Championships. His American teammates also took the second, third, and fourth places. This was the first time any country had taken the top four spots at a World Championship.

Facing Another Ban in 2006

On July 29, 2006, Gatlin announced that he had failed another drug test from April of that year. He stated that he had never knowingly used any banned substances. The failed test was found after a relay race in Lawrence, Kansas.

Gatlin accepted an eight-year ban from track and field. This ban was later reduced to four years in December 2007. This was because he cooperated with authorities and due to special reasons around his first failed test. His world record time of 9.77 seconds was later removed from the records.

Gatlin in 2009

In December 2006, Gatlin worked as a volunteer coach for his old high school track team. He helped with workouts and encouraged the young athletes.

Trying Out for the NFL

During his ban from track, Gatlin thought about playing American football. In November 2006, he worked out with the Houston Texans team. He had not played football since 10th grade.

In May 2007, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers invited Gatlin to their rookie camp. He tried out as a wide receiver. He did not make the team, but he believed he had the skills. He felt coaches saw him only as a "track guy."

Getting Ready for His Comeback

During his ban, Gatlin gained weight. He found a new coach, Loren Seagrave, who helped him get back to his racing weight. While he was away, new stars like Usain Bolt from Jamaica became very famous. Gatlin prepared to compete against this new generation of fast runners.

Returning to Competition in 2010 and 2011

On August 3, 2010, Gatlin returned to athletics. He won the 100 meters in Rakvere, Estonia, with a time of 10.24 seconds. He improved his time to 10.17 seconds in Tallinn. His coach noted that Gatlin's starts were weak, but his finishes were still strong.

In 2011, Gatlin started training with coach Brooks Johnson. On June 25, 2011, he ran 9.95 seconds at the USA Track & Field Championships. This was his first time running under 10 seconds in five years. He competed at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in South Korea, reaching the semi-finals.

World Indoor Champion Again in 2012

Gatlin celebrating his win at the 2012 World Indoor Championships

With new coach Dennis Mitchell, 2012 was a very successful year for Gatlin. He won the 60 meters World Indoor Championship again, running 6.46 seconds. This was the same time he ran to win the title nine years earlier.

Outdoors, Gatlin won the 100 meters at the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix in 9.87 seconds. He also won races in Daegu, Rabat, and Eugene. On June 24, Gatlin won the 100-meter final at the Olympic Trials in 9.80 seconds. This was the fastest time ever for a man over 30 at that point.

At the 2012 London Olympics on August 5, he set a new personal best of 9.79 seconds in the 100 meters final. He won a bronze medal, finishing behind Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake.

World Championships Silver and Diamond League Champion in 2013

On June 6, 2013, Gatlin beat world record holder Usain Bolt by a tiny amount to win the 100 meters at a meet in Rome. On August 11, 2013, Gatlin won a silver medal in the 100 meters at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics. He finished behind Usain Bolt. Gatlin also won another silver medal in the 4 × 100-meter relay. He became the Diamond League Champion in the 100 meters for the first time that year.

Another Diamond League Title in 2014

On September 5, 2014, Gatlin won the 100 meters at the IAAF Diamond League final in Brussels. He ran a personal best of 9.77 seconds. He also won the 200 meters in 19.71 seconds. This was his second fastest time of the year. Gatlin's wins in both races on the same day were the fastest ever recorded. He won the Diamond League trophy for the second year in a row.

Fastest Season and More Wins in 2015

On May 2, 2015, Gatlin won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 meters relay at the World Athletics Relays. This was the first time Usain Bolt and the Jamaican team had lost this relay since 2007. The American team ran 37.38 seconds to win. On May 15, Gatlin improved his personal best to 9.74 seconds. This was the fastest time in the world since 2012. It was the ninth-best performance in history and made Gatlin the fifth-best 100 meters athlete of all time.

On May 30, Gatlin equaled his 200m personal best, running 19.68 seconds. At the USATF Track and Field Championships, he set a new personal best in the 200 meters, running 19.57 seconds. This was the fifth fastest performance ever.

At the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, Gatlin was a strong favorite to win gold in the 100 meters. He ran 9.77 seconds in his semi-final, the fastest time ever in a preliminary round at a World Championship or Olympics. However, he finished second to Usain Bolt in the final. Bolt won in 9.79 seconds, with Gatlin just 0.01 seconds behind. Gatlin also finished second to Bolt in the 200 meters final. He ended his 2015 season by winning the Brussels Diamond League and his third straight Diamond League trophy.

Olympic Silver Medalist in 2016

Gatlin won the 100 meters in 9.80 seconds and the 200 meters in 19.75 seconds at the 2016 United States Olympic Trials. This made him the oldest sprinter to join an American Olympic team.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Gatlin won a silver medal in the 100 meters final with a time of 9.89 seconds. Usain Bolt won the gold. Gatlin also ran in the 200 meters but did not qualify for the final.

World Champion Again in 2017

On April 22, 2017, Gatlin won his second gold medal in the 4 × 100 meters relay at the World Athletics Relays. At the 2017 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Justin Gatlin won the 100 meters in 9.95 seconds. He beat young favorite Christian Coleman. In doing so, he broke a world record for athletes over 35 years old.

Gatlin was a surprise champion at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics. He won gold in the 100 meters in 9.92 seconds, beating Usain Bolt. He won his first 100m World title 12 years earlier in 2005. He beat his American teammate Christian Coleman, who won silver, and Usain Bolt, who earned bronze in his final World Championships. After reports about his coach, Dennis Mitchell, Gatlin changed coaches back to Brooks Johnson.

4x100 Meters World Champion in 2019

In 2019, Gatlin ran 9.87 seconds in the 100 meters at the Prefontaine Classic. He finished second to Christian Coleman. Gatlin's 9.87 time improved his own world record for older athletes.

Gatlin won the silver medal in the 100m final at the 2019 World Athletics Championships. His time was 9.89 seconds, behind Christian Coleman. At 37 years old, Gatlin became the oldest sprinter to win a medal in the men’s 100 meters at the World Athletics Championships. At the same championships, Gatlin was part of the American team that won gold in the 4 x 100 meters relay. This was his first time winning this event at the World Championships. The American team ran 37.10 seconds, the fastest ever by an American team.

Trying for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021

In 2021, Gatlin tried to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, at age 39. In April 2021, he won a race with a time of 9.98 seconds. At the 2020 US Olympic Trials, Gatlin reached the final. However, he got a hamstring injury during the final and finished last. This ended his chance to go to the Tokyo Olympics.

Justin Gatlin's Career Statistics

Season's Best Performances

All information from World Athletics profile.

• Year rank shows how the time ranked among all times that year.
• Bold means it's a personal best for his whole career.
• There are no records for 2002 and 2006–2009 due to his bans.

Track Records Held by Gatlin

As of September 14, 2024, Justin Gatlin holds these track records for 100 meters and 200 meters. Performances in red text had strong wind assistance.

100 Meters Records

200 Meters Records

Other Fun Facts

Justin Gatlin was a regular on the TV show Pros vs Joes on Spike TV. This show had professional athletes compete against everyday people.

In 2011, on a Japanese TV show called Kasupe!, Gatlin ran 100 meters in 9.45 seconds. This was faster than Usain Bolt's record. But, he had help from big wind machines blowing at over 25 meters per second! He received about US$25,000 for being on the show.

Images for kids

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  Gatlin in 2009

See also

In Spanish: Justin Gatlin para niños

• List of doping cases in athletics
• Men's 100 metres world record progression