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Justin Gatlin has become the latest stakeholder to slam the Netflix-streamed show Sprint, believing it did not to justice to the athletes in terms of telling more in-depth information about them.
Former Olympic sprinter Justin Gatlin has shared his disappointment with season two of Netflix’s Sprint, a docuseries that follows elite sprinters pursuing their Olympic dreams, including prominent athletes like Fred Kerley, Letsile Tebogo, and Noah Lyles.
Gatlin, a five-time Olympic medalist, aired his frustrations on his Ready Set Go podcast, where he expressed that the season failed to meet his expectations.
Despite being eager to learn more about the athletes’ personal journeys, Gatlin felt the show did not provide enough depth, focusing too much on the athletes’ pursuit of Olympic glory, a narrative he felt was overdone.
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07:50 - 25.10.2024
'We ain't getting no money for this s**t' - Fred Kerley slams Netflix's 'SPRINT' for misrepresentation and unfair portrayal of sprinters
SPRINT season one potrayed Kerley as the antagonist of the show, with Noah Lyles being made the star, something the two-time Olympic medalist did not take lightly.
“I did not get that spike of excitement that I was looking for. It kind of played out the way it was supposed to play out. I feel like I did not get enough in-depth knowledge of the athletes I was looking for,” Gatlin remarked on the Ready Set Go podcast.
“It was just following those athletes trying to make their big move happen, which is the Olympics, a story told 1000 times by 1000 athletes, but I want to know more about you.”
Gatlin pointed out that while the show did touch on personal aspects, such as Letsile Tebogo’s emotional struggles after the loss of his mother, the focus was often on general narrative beats rather than the athletes' full stories.
He felt the commentary from track legends like Ato Boldon, Allison Felix, and Michael Johnson offered more insight than the athletes themselves.
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05:18 - 26.11.2024
'That is beautiful' - American sprint legends Justin Gatlin & Tyson Gay agree with Asafa Powell on the appreciative nature of Jamaican fans
Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay have agreed with Asafa Powell on how appreciative Jamaican fans can be, contrasted to US supporters, who almost never care too much about their heroes.
“They did talk a little bit in Tebogo’s case about his mother’s passing and how it affected him, so I feel you got more information from the narrators… but not so much from the athletes themselves,” Gatlin added.
Fred Kerley, Letsile Tebogo & Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith slam show
Gatlin’s statements come a few weeks after some of the athletes themselves also slammed the production of the show.
Fred Kerley, a key figure in season two, also voiced his concerns about how the show portrayed him. Known for his fierce competitive spirit, Kerley was depicted in a narrative that centers around his battle to restore his reputation after a disappointing 2023.
However, he was less than thrilled with how the show’s editing created conflict and rivalry, particularly with fellow sprinters Noah Lyles and Marcell Jacobs.
“They really didn’t show how they actually filmed us. This s*** is Hollywood,” Kerley said on Gatlin's podcast, suggesting that the scenes were selectively edited to manufacture drama.
He further criticized how the series focused on rivalries rather than his own compelling story, specifically his journey from the 2022 World Championships to his anticipated match-ups with Lyles and Jacobs.
Kerley previously expressed similar concerns about how season one portrayed him as the “antagonist,” with the show emphasizing his rivalry with Lyles and Jacobs.
Letsile Tebogo, who was featured in the docuseries, also voiced his disappointment on social media, calling out the show for its heavy American-centric focus. His sentiments echoed those of Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith, Africa’s fastest woman, who had criticized the series for overlooking African athletes despite filming her throughout the season.
“I feel really disrespected because when you say you are going to produce a series about the fastest sprinters in the world, you should show everyone, not only those who win,” Ta Lou-Smith said in an interview. “Track and field is not only about winning, it is also about people who overcome different situations, good or bad. So, if you want to show the real life of track and field, show everything, don’t leave out others.”
Tebogo, similarly, posted, “This is an American show,” after watching season two, a reflection of his disappointment at the limited focus on non-American athletes in the series.
While Sprint offers fans a closer look at the lives of top sprinters, the criticism regarding its portrayal of athletes’ personal stories and the lack of diversity in its focus continues to spark debate.
With athletes like Lyles, Kerley, and Tebogo already speaking out, the docuseries will likely face further scrutiny on its approach to telling the true, multifaceted stories of the world’s fastest runners.
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13:00 - 25.11.2024
British sprint icon Linford Christie on why modern sprinters like Noah Lyles, Kishane Thompson & Co have It 'easier' than past generations
American sprint legend Maurice Greene remains steadfast on his stance over modern sprinters, believing they have it so much 'easier' chances to dominate sprinting nowadays compared to his era.
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