Ageless Justin Gatlin beats the youngsters in US 100m final
Olympic Games silver medallist clocks 9.95 seconds at US Track and Field Championships to join Christian Coleman Chris Belcher on team for August’s World Championships in London
Olympic Games silver medallist Justin Gatlin stormed to the lead in the final 20 metres and defeated favoured youngster Christian Coleman in the 100 metres final at the US Track and Field Championships on Friday.
Gatlin, 35, claimed the victory in 9.95 seconds in his best performance of an injury-plagued season.
Coleman, 21, clocked 9.98 for second with another newcomer Chris Belcher, 23, running 10.06 to complete the US team for August’s World Championships in London.
“It was a fighting moment,” Gatlin said. “It wasn’t the spectacular times that you have seen me run in the last couple of years but it was a time where I needed to fight.”
The victory earned Gatlin a chance to compete against rival and world record holder Usain Bolt one more time with Jamaican retiring after the 100 metres at the World Championships.
Coleman, who has the year’s fastest time of 9.82 seconds, said his reaching for the finish line caused him to lose momentum in the side-by-side race with Gatlin, his mentor.