Rio de Janeiro: US sprinter Justin Gatlin said he was “hungry” for success on Friday as he prepares to take on Usain Bolt for what would be a highly controversial second Olympic crown.
Gatlin has twice served doping bans in his career, meaning a 100m or 200m win against the popular Bolt would be polarising — especially after Russia’s athletics team was suspended over a drugs scandal.
Gatlin, 34, has set the two fastest times this year and he is a real threat to two-time defending champion Bolt, whose build-up has been troubled by a hamstring injury.
He said he was taking a simple approach to what will be his third Olympics, after he won the 100m in 2004, missed 2008 with a drugs ban and returned to take bronze in 2012.
“I’m just going to go out and do what I need to do,” he told reporters at the US track and field team’s training base near Copacabana. “This Olympics is going to be special. I know everyone’s going to bring their A-game so I’ve got to make sure I’m ready.”
When asked how he was feeling, Gatlin told reporters: “Hungry.” “This is my third Olympics so I’m bringing the fun, care-free Justin Gatlin from 2004 and the honoured-to-be-here Justin Gatlin from 2012, kind of mixed together,” he said.
Gatlin set personal bests over both 100m and 200m last year. Norwegian resear-chers found in 2014 that the effects of drugs could last decades.
