Olympians to race atop a lake on this one-of-a-kind track setup in Rio
American sprinter Justin Gatlin will headline the field for the Mano a Mano challenge in Rio on Sunday, a race which will be held atop a lake.
American sprinter Justin Gatlin will continue the trend of running somewhat bizarre races when he lines up for a “street race” in Rio on Sunday. The 34-year-old Olympic champion in 2004 served a doping ban in 2001 and again in 2006. He’s expected to be one of Usain Bolt’s top competitors at the Rio Games in August.
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Gatlin, who recently said he was “no villain” in the athletics community, will line up alongside 2008 Olympic silver medallist Richard Thompson and two Brazilian sprinters for the Mano a Mano 100m Challenge. Bolt won the third edition in 2015 but will be absent this time around.
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Whereas in the past the race was held on a Mondo track on the streets of Rio, this time the race will be situated atop a lake at Quinta da Boa Vista. The track will sit a few metres above the water. American Carmelita Jeter is the favourite in the women’s race.
Gatlin is not concerned with the Zika virus outbreak to have hit Brazil, saying that “we [athletes] don’t get a chance to do a Final Four. We don’t get a chance to do a Super Bowl. This is our championships. And if at that point in time, if Zika is not going to kill me, I’m going to be down there trying to accomplish my Olympic dreams.”
Below is Gatlin in Brazil ahead of Sunday’s race, which will mark the beginning of the two-month countdown to the Rio Games. The Olympics begin Aug. 5 and conclude Aug. 21.
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While Gatlin running on a lake sounds unusual, it doesn’t quite compare to the stunt he pulled on a Japanese television show when he ran a 100m sprint backed by industrial size fans. Sprinters get an added boost with a tailwind but only wind 2.0 metres per second or less is considered legal for record purposes.
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