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U.S. sprinter Justin Gatlin runs world’s 2 fastest 100 meters for 2014

Justin Gatlin after winning the 100 meters on Wednesday in Beijing.
Justin Gatlin after winning the 100 meters on Wednesday in Beijing.
(Wang Zhao / AFP/Getty Images)
By David Wharton
Staff WriterFollow
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American sprinter Justin Gatlin is having a good week.

Over the last four days, Gatlin has recorded the two fastest 100-meter times in the world for 2014, setting the latest mark in China on Wednesday.

His 9.87-second time at the IAAF World Challenge in Beijing was 0.05 of a second faster than the previous year’s best, which he set in Shanghai on Sunday.

“I think a lot of people take the off-year [between the Olympics and world championships] for granted,” he told the Associated Press after the weekend meet. “They want to use it as a rest year, just show their face, but I think this year is the year where you really show your talent.”

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Six-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt has been recovering from a foot injury and was scheduled to race next on June 17 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

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David Wharton

David Wharton has filled an array of roles – covering the courts, entertainment, sports and the second Persian Gulf War – since starting as a Los Angeles Times intern in 1982. His work has been honored by organizations such as the Society for Features Journalism and Associated Press Sports Editors and has been anthologized in “Best American Sports Writing.” He has also been nominated for an Emmy and has written two books, including “Conquest,” an inside look at USC football during the Pete Carroll era.

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