Japanese TV shows are odd at the best of times.
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American sprinter and Olympic gold medalist Justin Gatlin just broke the world record of Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt for the 100-meter event, but he may have cheated a little bit.
The American, who has served bans for doping offences, was on Japanese TV and had the benefit of a giant fan and smaller fans set up to help push him towards his goal.
The record obviously isn’t going to be recorded officially, but if Gatlin is looking for an edge, watch out for some fans of the non-spectator kind in Rio later this summer.
The fans blew a huge gust of wind that allowed Gatlin, 34, to finish the 100-meter sprint in only 9.45 seconds, which would have been good enough for a brand new world record. He was literally blown to the finish line with the wind estimated at 32km/h – four times the legal limit.
Not surprising, then, that Gatlin was able to not only smash his personal best of 9.74 seconds, but also better the laid-back Jamaican’s all-time low.
The American returned from a four-year doping ban in 2010 and has emerged as Bolt’s main rival in recent years.
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Bolt edged out Gatlin at the World Championships past year. ‘I’m going to win.
