Justin Gatlin reacts as High School athlete Tate Taylor breaks the 200m National Record at the Nike Indoor Championships

Justin Gatlin lauded high schooler Tate Taylor for breaking the HS Indoor 200m record at the Nike Indoor Nationals on March 16, 2025. Taylor dropped the season-best time of 21.09s to 20.46s with his effort in the event.

Justin Gatlin has always been a supporter of up-and-coming track and field talents. The former sprinter, who now stays associated with the sport through the 'Ready Set Go' podcast, often opines on athletes, and events and hosts several personalities on his show.

Recently, he shared the post of Harlan High School student, Tate Taylor's monumental victory in the Nike Indoor Nationals, winning the 200m feat in an HS national record time.

"You've been truly patient year after year @tk.taylor2 and NOW its paying off for you!! God got you nephew!! Shout out to @coachk_speed for doing an amazing job with you!" his Instagram story caption read.

Justin Gatlin reacts to Tate Taylor's winning feat; Instagram - @justingatlin

Taylor's winning time at the Nike event eclipsed Issam Asinga's record time of 20.48s he set at the 2023 New Balance Nationals Indoor. 20.46s was also faster than the Armory High School meet record that Noah Lyles set in 2016.

Taylor made waves at the 2024 USATF Nationals, winning the 200m dash in 20.66s.

Justin Gatlin once weighed in on young athletes being asked to become the next greats on the track

Justin Gatlin at the 17th IAAF World Athletics Championships - (Source: Getty)

Vocal about the growth of track and field and the approaches of athletes and coaches, Gatlin once addressed the issue of young athletes being pressured to become the next Usain Bolt or Allyson Felix. Weighing in on how the expectations suppress the talents, he said:

"You take these young athletes, you teach them what it is to be a professional athlete, the wins, the losses and please everybody stop saying and telling these young athletes, you're the next great one, you're the next [Usain Bolt], you the next [Allyson Felix] or whoever else. It's the fact of they have the capabilities of doing it, they have a high percentage of doing it of being able to make their mark the same way. Let them walk their path, let them run their path.”

The 43-year-old further added:

"If everything starts crumbling around them, they're gonna be like 'Well wait a minute, I thought I was the next.' And then now the losses become so much pressure on their head and then now these young athletes fade away before they even 20 years old. So let's stop doing them a disservice in that way.”

Justin Gatlin was one of the most successful sprinters of his time, toe-to-toe with world record holder, Usain Bolt. Ranked fifth in the all-time 100m list, Gatlin was the oldest man to win an Olympic medal in a non-relay sprint event at the 2016 Rio Games. He retired in 2022 with 10 World medals in her list of accolades.