Justin Gatlin 'Breaks' Usain Bolt's World 100M Record on Japanese Show 'Kasupe!'

United States sprinter Justin Gatlin recently ran the 100 metres in 9.45 seconds on Japanese television show Kasupe!, topping Usain Bolt's world-record mark. However, he was assisted by fans blowing out gusts of air to provide momentum, meaning the time will not officially stand.

There were fans set up on track to give Gatlin a boost on his way to the finish line. According to Rory Brigstock-Barron of the MailOnline, the equipment produced a massive tailwind of 20 miles per hour.

Bolt's record has stood for seven years, with the Jamaican icon running 9.58 seconds at the World Championships in Berlin, Germany, in 2009. Gatlin's best time over the distance in official competition is 9.74 seconds.

The 34-year-old's battle with Bolt will be one of the key storylines this summer, with Rio de Janeiro set to host the 2016 Olympics.

Gatlin and the Olympic 100-metre and 200-metre champion duelled at the World Championships in Beijing, China, last year, with Bolt getting the better of the American in both of the sprint events.

It was a result which delighted many in the athletics stratosphere, given Gatlin was banned for four years after a failed doping test.

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As reported by Brigstock-Barron, Gatlin was boisterous about his chances of winning gold this summer when speaking to TMZ Sports recently (h/t Brigstock-Barron).

"I'm going to win," he said. "We are bringing it [the gold medal] back to the U.S. We are gonna bring it back to the USA, to L.A. to New York. We are going on a tour around the country with it around my neck like a gold chain."

Bolt posted the following on Instagram recently, suggesting he is focused squarely on his preparations for the summer showpiece:

Gatlin's 9.45-second dash may have been illegal, but there's no denying he possesses the speed to trouble Bolt this summer in Brazil.

However, given the Jamaican has dominated the sprint events at the last two Olympics, winning six gold medals in total, getting the better of Bolt on the biggest stage of all will be an almighty challenge—both physically and mentally—for the American.