“I enjoy watching Justin. It’s fun for me to see him in his element because he used to do this thing where he walks back and forth like a crazy person…” Usain Bolt has always been brutally honest: he was truly amused by some of Justin Gatlin’s on-track antics back in the day. But there was one moment when everyone thought Gatlin went a little too far. Yes, we’re talking about the 2011 ‘lane spat‘ incident. For years, Bolt played it cool, brushing it off. But now, after all this time, the Jamaican has finally gotten something he never really asked for—an official apology from Gatlin himself.

14 years. That’s all it took for Justin Gatlin and Usain Bolt to lay this seemingly controversial incident to bed. But what had happened? Well, Justin Gatlin had just returned from a 4-year ban, and it was the first time he raced Bolt, happening at the 2011 World Challenge Meeting in Zagreb, Croatia.

Amid the humid climate, Bolt still prevailed, winning the 100m race over Gatlin in 9.85 seconds. But then, something unexpected happened. At the High Performance podcast in 2024, Bolt revealed, “I was walking back, and he was walking towards me, and he spit across my lane in front of me.”

Well yes. Usain Bolt claimed in 2024 that he laughed at it and found it funny. He certainly knew what Gatlin was trying to do, but it did not affect him. Until now, nearly a year later, when both Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin came face to face at the Ready Set Go podcast released on February 27, the American finally voiced an apology. On the recent 2025 podcast, Usain Bolt clarified his interpretation of the incident: “I understood that he’s just trying to intimidate me but I’m not I’m not worried about you so,” he remarked directly to Gatlin.”

That’s when Rodney Green stepped in and asked Gatlin, “Do you apologize for spitting?” And the American instantly replied, “I apologize I apologize.” But Usain Bolt still was wearing it quite lightly. The incident that was seen as disrespectful by many was not the same to Bolt, who said, “Yo, it’s not even anything bad….”

But Gatlin expressed what had happened in Zagreb 2011. He said, “The thing is for me is like, I’m so focused and I don’t even think at that moment I was even thinking about, like, doing those little petty trickery things, you know what I’m saying? I am thinking like, at that point I got I got allergies, you know what I am saying? I’m so I’m just I’m constantly like trying to get my mouth clear so I can go run with my sinuses. I didn’t think it was never like, like, you know, F Usain Bolt kind of thing.” 

But it’s easy to understand why Gatlin’s move could have been misinterpreted as an attempt to push Bolt’s buttons. Well, that’s because while Justin Gatlin was serving the tenure of his ban, the Jamaican had already shot up to the big picture with the 100m and 200m crowns at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Also, both are world record times!

So yes, it would have been easy to think that Gatlin may have wanted to announce his return to the scene by intimidating Bolt. But obviously, that was not the case, as the American clarified now.

But the most interesting part is that even back then, Bolt had been seemingly unbothered by this move. In fact, a few years down the line, he even claimed Gatlin’s move had helped him change his approach to racing. How? Let’s hear.

Did Usain Bolt really find the spit incident funny?

He told CNN how he had picked up on what Justin Gatlin was trying to do in their 2011 race. At the moment, he knew Gatlin was trying to intimidate him, but looking back, he admitted it actually taught him a lot. Fast forward a few years, and Bolt had a totally different mindset.

“Today, it doesn’t really bother me. I just go there, enjoy myself and relax. Its just one of those things where over the years the game has changed,” he said. It’s amazing to see the composure in which he talks. His approach to life deserves a case study.

How to be successful while eating Chicken Nuggets before the biggest race in his career!

It’s pretty clear that sprinting used to have a more intense, almost feisty atmosphere in the past. No wonder Bolt had even said that Gatlin’s move made sense because he was part of a different era—one where things were just “like that,” pretty fiesty and full of intimidation moves.

But Bolt’s laid-back attitude showed that times were changing. What do you think? Let us know below!