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An American sprint legend has criticized a popular Netflix docuseries for underrepresenting African athletes and lacking narrative depth.
Two-time Olympic silver medallist Justin Gatlin has added his voice to the growing criticism surrounding the Netflix docuseries Sprint, which has been accused of underrepresenting African athletes.
The 42-year-old retired sprinter expressed his disappointment in a recent interview, saying the series missed an opportunity to showcase the vibrant and growing sprinting talent from Africa.
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The docuseries, which explores the personal and professional lives of the world's fastest athletes, has released two seasons, the most recent focusing on the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
While it has been praised for its cinematic storytelling, it has also faced backlash for neglecting the contributions and stories of African sprinters.
Prominent athletes such as Letsile Tobogo, Akani Simbineand Ta Lou Smith have all expressed their frustration, arguing that their stories deserved more attention.
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Speaking on the Ready Set Go podcast with Rodney Green, Gatlin shared his thoughts on the docuseries and voiced his concerns about the lack of representation for African athletes.
"I would have liked them to do more on the Africans, man. All the African sprinters. And I would have loved more out of that. Africa has had a great surge in sprinters from different countries like Liberia. And Sembine is doing what he's always been doing, but he has a whole emergence of young kids who he's fostering behind him, who will carry the torch," he said.
Gatlin, who retired from professional athletics in 2021, acknowledged the growth of African sprinting talent in recent years.
He pointed to the efforts of seasoned athletes like Akani Simbine, who not only continue to perform at the highest levels but also nurture young athletes rising through the ranks.
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For Gatlin, the docuseries represented a missed opportunity to highlight this dynamic evolution and celebrate Africa's contributions to the global sprinting stage.
When asked for a broader review of the series, Gatlin expressed his disappointment with the overall narrative depth.
"I watched the whole series... I think the way it's filmed because it's so 2020-hindsight for us, right, by us going through the season already. I'm speaking as a spectator...Us watching it in real-time, going through the season and then knowing who the winners are...kind of understanding the roles that all the athletes are already playing," he remarked.
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Gatlin explained that the storytelling lacked the element of surprise and emotional engagement he had hoped for.
"So when I watched it, I didn't get that spike of excitement that I was looking for, you know what I mean...It kind of played out the way it was supposed to play out or I feel like I didn't get that much in-depth knowledge of the athletes that I was looking for. It was just following those athletes, I guess, trying to make their big moment happen, which is the Olympics."
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