"That's one thing I've always respected about Justin Gatlin" - Usain Bolt names one key quality he admired in his former American rival

Former track athlete Usain Bolt recently shared one quality that he admires about his long-time rival, Justin Gatlin.

Bolt and Gatlin have been two of the most legendary track athletes over the past decade. Their rivalry provided track and field fans with some of the most electrifying contests.

Even though Bolt led the rivalry between the two in most of the races, Gatlin beat the Jamaican athlete at the 2017 World Championships. On the other hand, Bolt defeated Gatlin in both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics to win two of his three 100m gold medals. Despite this rivalry, both athletes have showed the utmost respect and admiration for each other and have enhanced each other's skills.

In a recent interview with "High Performance", Bolt claimed that Gatlin's belief in winning every race was a key quality that he respected during their rivalry. He also mentioned that without dedication and belief, an individual cannot win anything. He said (at 55:20):

"I mean you have to be dedicated to anything you do, you just can't go in halfway like oh okay I am going to do. You have to be fully dedicated and if you don't believe that it can be done, then you have already defeated. "

Bolt further added:

"I think that's one thing that I've always respected about Justin (Gatlin) competing with him and the belief he had every race that he was going to win."

Both Bolt and Gatlin finished their careers among the top 5 fastest 100m sprinters of the world. While the Jamaican tops the list with his legendary sprint of 9.58 seconds, Gatlin currently ranks fifth with a time of 9.79 seconds.

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Usain Bolt opens up about the footballer who can compete with him over a race

Usain Bolt on the ninth day of the 2007 World Athletics Championships (Image via Getty Images)

Usain Bolt recently shared his thoughts on the footballer he believes could challenge him in a foot race.

In a talkSport interview, Bolt stated that Manchester United star, Marcus Rashford has great speed. However, he also mentioned that after the 20-yard mark, Rashford has no chance of competing with him. He said:

"Rashford is quick out the blocks, that is what he does. He has that burst of speed but after that, I told him, you could probably get me in 20 yards. But after that, it is over!."

The 26-year-old United forward had clocked some impressive speeds in the Premier League. Last season, he was also among the top 10 fastest Premier League players with a speed of 35.35 km/hr.