Justin Gatlin believes Usain Bolt might decide to come out of retirement and compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020.
The 31-year-old, an eight-time Olympic champion, retired from athletics after the London World Championships in August when his 100m farewell ended in a third-placed finish behind Gatlin and Christian Coleman.
However, Gatlin, who has served bans for two doping offences, says he can see “massive competitor” Bolt returning for the Games in Japan.
“If he has a love for the sport then it will be hard for him to stay away. Put it this way, I think he loves track. A lot,” Gatlin told the Daily Mail.
“He is a massive competitor, forget everything else. He loves being there on that line, against the other guy and going for the win.
“When I think about it, I think he might take a run in 2020.”