Usain Bolt has ruled out a potential rematch with his former rival Justin Gatlin but hinted at the possibility of racing against three other sprinting legends.
The eight-time Olympic gold medalist, who still holds the world records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m, made his stance clear while appearing on the Ready Set Go podcast, hosted by Gatlin and former Bahamian sprinter Rodney Green.
When asked about a rematch with Gatlin, Bolt initially seemed open to the idea, saying, “I’m ready, just for the fun of it. Let’s go. It’ll be fun.” However, he quickly dismissed the possibility, joking that Gatlin is “in too good of a shape,” referencing the American’s consistent training.
Bolt and Gatlin’s rivalry dates back to the 2012 London Olympics, where Bolt won the 100m final in a record-setting 9.63 seconds while Gatlin took bronze. The American finally got the better of Bolt at the 2017 World Championships in London, winning gold in what was Bolt’s last individual race before retirement.
While declining a rematch with Gatlin, Bolt did propose a dream race lineup. He envisioned himself, Gatlin, Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell, and Yohan Blake competing against Maurice Green, Ben Johnson, and Noah Lyles.
Additionally, Bolt revealed one lingering regret from his career never getting the chance to avenge a 2007 defeat to Xavier Carter. Reflecting on the loss and Carter’s taunts, he admitted, “It hurts me to the core to this day because I never got the chance to beat him back.”
Despite Carter’s impressive speed ranking as the 12th fastest man in 200m history he never competed at the Olympics.
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