Bolt Loss to Gatlin, should we be concerned?

Last Thursday (June 6) at the Rome Diamond League Meet we saw the defeat of six-time Olympic champion and world record holder Jamaican Usain Bolt to American Justin Gatlin in the 100m. Gatlin won the event in a time of 9.94 seconds ahead of Usain Bolt's 9.95, with France’s Jimmy Vicaut (10.02) and USA’s Mike Rodgers (10.04) securing the minor places.  Gatlin’s victory was significant on many levels as it raise many questions about both Bolt and Gatlin. Is the mystique or aura supporting Bolt invincibility crumbling? Is this the beginning of the end for Bolt? Should Gatlin even have been given the opportunity to be competing against Bolt after drug infractions in the past? Should Bolt be concerned? Twenty-six year old Bolt has suffered defeat in the past against Tyson Gay back in 2010 and against training partner, Yohan Blake at the 2012 Jamaican National Trials in both the 100m and the 200m. After the double defeat at the Jamaican Trials, Bolt turned the table on Blake by capturing the sprint double at the London Olympics winning the 100m in 9.63 seconds and the 200m in 19.32 seconds. So we are fully aware that Bolt seems to be able to turn it on whenever the occasion requires it. Therefore, Bolt seems unconcerned about his defeat to Gatlin. In fact, this  past weekend, Bolt was at the French Open men’s final at Roland Garros on Sunday to present the championship trophy to  Rafael  Nadal, for his historic eighth victory in the event. Should Gatlin be on the same track as Bolt? For Gatlin, the question of whether he deserves to be on the same track with Bolt is a moot point. Gatlin has served his time and has been diligently showing up for his races. This season he had so far been undefeated in the 100m , until his defeat to France’s Christophe Lemaitre this past weekend. Gatlin has the 2^nd fastest time in the world so far this season in the 100m (9.94) behind his American teammate Tyson Gay (9.86 seconds). Bolt has to be aware that as the world-record holder with a bull’s eye on his back, every sprinter in the world is aiming to defeat him. Is that not motivation enough? What’s remarkable about Gatlin victory is the fact that he called out Bolt, saying that this season “it’s going to be a dogfight” and then went out there and beat Bolt. Despite backing off of those comments during the pre-race press conference, Gatlin deserves a lot of credit for not only “talking the talk, but also walking the walk.” Whether we are in agreement with Gatlin’s trash-talking method used for self motivation is irrelevant because it works for Gatlin, and as a competitor you are encouraged to use whatever legal tools at your disposal to gain that mental edge over your competitor. Non-track demands There is no disputing the fact the Usain Bolt is a legend based on his exploits on the track. Bolt in his Rome post-race press conference cited lack of motivation and extreme demand on his time (non-track issues, public appearances, commitments etc) as reasons for his lack of preparation and hence the reason for his defeat to Gatlin. Living in the age of Twitter, Face book, Instagram etc, where every actions and comments are broadcast over the internet, the current group of athletes has to be mentally strong and to resist the desire to get engulf ed in social media. Prior to his Rome race against Gatlin, Bolt was reported as  having a heated discussion on Twitter with Italian soccer player, Mario Balotelli about something Bolt had said about him. Avoiding complacency This leads me to the great American hurdler Edwin Moses who won 122 consecutive 400m hurdles races over a 10-year period in a run that was eventually snapped by Danny Harris back on June 4, 1987.  Moses was able to accomplish this feat in an age where despite the demands on his time, there was no Twitter or facebook and there were places he could escape to for peace and serenity. It is extremely difficult to stay motivated and hungry for an extended period of time since there is always the tendency for complacency to set in. It is imperative for Bolt to stay hungry and fight against that notion of complacency if he wishes to add to his legendary status. But despite his “lack of motivation” Bolt always shows up for the big races, and come Moscow 2013, we expect Bolt to turn the tables on Gatlin and whoever else who would have defeated him during the season. Bolt seems prepared and motivated for the big races, where the spotlight shines brightest and everything is at stake and the whole world is watching. Should we be concerned about Bolt’s defeat to Gatlin? No, not at all     Like us on  Facebook Follow us on Twitter