Michael Rodgers, Christian Coleman, Justin Gatlin and Noah Lyles of the US celebrate after winning the men’s 4x100 metres relay gold with the US women’s 4x100m relay team who won the bronze medal on Saturday. Picture: Abdul basit / The Peninsula
Doha: Multiple-time winner Justin Gatlin is happy that the US team has been able to end the 4 x 100m relay team jinx at the IAAF World Championships at the Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday.
Gatlin along with Noah Lyles, Christian Coleman and Mike Rodgers guided the team to the top spot, to pick up gold from the event to add to his collection of one Olympic gold and four world championships titles.
The American men overcame the country’s longest and most-notorious track jinx that has bedeviled this team for decades.
Their first sprint relay wins at worlds since 2007 - the pre-Usain Bolt days. Great Britain and Northern Ireland got the silver while bronze went to Japan.
“This gold has eluded me throughout my whole career, from high school, college, always finish outside the window, just not to be able to get the job done. At some points I thought like maybe it was me,” he added.
“But tonight, we all got the job done, we got the stick around and we all stayed with our own self and we were successful final,” added the American.
Gatlin complimented his team-mates for ending the ‘curse’ and for handing him a ‘gift’
“And I take my hats off to my teammates for being brave not being under pressure with the stick. They broke that curse tonight, I appreciate, you guys gave me a gift tonight. USA sprinting, what can I say? We have the 100m gold medallist, the 200m gold medallist, I think it’s in good hands.
Gatlin said the competition in sprint events is rising.
“I have to say that sprint is high rising across the world. These young guys from UK, from Japan they have risen the bar of the athleticism and being in the family of sport I want see good competition.”
Both Lyles and Coleman are happy that exists a keen rivalry between them.
“We are excited, both very competitive and both very talented and we are going to go out there and make USA the best country in the world. Every time we step onto the track we are gonna put our best 100 percent,” Lyles said.
“Like he said, we are both competitive and talented and young and caring forward the US sprinting. I think we make each other better. I am working hard, I know he is down there. Whenever we met it’s going to be fireworks. I am looking forward to our rivalry in the future,” Coleman added.
