Not long after Usain Bolt left Justin Gatlin and the rest of the field behind en route to winning the 100 meter final at the London Olympics, the world's fastest man told reporters that the U.S. track star had been spending too much time talking before the race.
Well, Gatlin is still talking.
Appearing on "The Dan Patrick Show" just days after winning the bronze medal in the 100, Gatlin told guest host Glen Ordway that he believes Bolt is a "beatable runner."
"We're talking about something like it hasn't been done before, which it has. He’s been beaten by his own teammate twice," said Gatlin, referring to Yohan Blake's victories over Bolt at the Jamaican Olympic Trials. "The guy is beatable, it's just that you've got to pick the right day, right conditions. It's a small window of error, a small margin of success, but it's attainable."
Yes, Gatlin's right. Bolt has been beaten. He has been beaten by his own teammate at the Jamaican Olympic Trials. He has been beaten by himself (via false starts) in the world championships. But what about when he's on the world's biggest stage and racing for gold?
Since a brief and unmemorable Olympic debut in Athens in 2004, Bolt has raced four times with an Olympic medal on the line thus far, three times in Beijing and once in London. He came out with the gold medal in all four and still has two more events to compete in the London Games: the men's 200 meters and the 4x100 relay.
Bolt, who holds the world and Olympic records in the 200, slowed down for a large portion of his preliminary heat and still managed to win with ease. He didn't finish with the fastest time but it certainly didn't look like that was his aim. He'll run the semifinal on Wednesday and presumably the final on Thursday.
Gatlin won't be competing in the 200. If nobody beats Bolt in that event, Gatlin will have a chance to back up his words when he races in the 4x100 relay.
The interview was transcribed by Sports Radio Interviews. Click HERE to listen to the full segment. (Gatlin interview begins at 21:35)