Athletics may not need a marquee personality with the speed and charisma to take over from Usain Bolt as fresh faces at the top of the sprint podium can be equally exciting for fans, former Olympic champion Justin Gatlin said Thursday.
Bolt kept the sport afloat in an era blighted by doping scandals as he won sprint doubles at three consecutive Olympics and multiple world titles before retiring in 2017.
"We're so used to having a marquee athlete," Gatlin told reporters in India. "But now we have the opportunity to sit back and really watch athletes blossom and kind of nurture them, cheer them on ... see exactly what they can do."
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