Gatlin upstages Bolt in Rome

 

American sprinter Justin Gatlin handed world-record holder Usain Bolt a narrow defeat in the 100-metre race at the Golden Gala meet today.

Gatlin clocked 9.94 seconds and Bolt crossed second in 9.95.

It was Bolt’s first significant loss since he was disqualified for a false start at the 2011 world championships in Daegu, South Korea. Bolt was also beaten by Tyson Gay in August, 2010, in Stockholm.

Gatlin has now won all five of his 100 races this year and is shaping up as a serious threat to Bolt at this year’s worlds in Moscow in August.

 

Bolt, the six-time Olympic champion from Jamaica, also struggled in his only other 100 this year, narrowly winning in a relatively slow 10.09 in the Cayman Islands a month ago.