Justin Gatlin Fails to Reach Finals of Men's 200M at 2016 Olympics

American sprinter Justin Gatlin failed to reach the final in the men's 200-meter dash at the 2016 Summer Olympics on Wednesday, marking a disappointing end to his individual competition at this year's Games. 

Gatlin finished third in his heat in the semifinals, and only the top two were guaranteed to advance to Thursday's final. He finished ninth overall, and just eight reach the finals, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. 

Michael Lee of The Vertical provided his initial take on how Gatlin appeared to approach the race: 

Although the 100 has been Gatlin's more successful race at the Olympic level, and this year he won the silver, outside expectations were still high heading into the 200. He finished second to Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt in the event at last year's World Championships in Beijing.

The 34-year-old University of Tennessee product told Chris Chavez of Sports Illustrated in June that he achieved that result despite not feeling at full strength for the final.

"For that 200, I was tired. I'm not even going to lie, man," Gatlin said. "I was tired going into it and just gave it everything that I had. I know Usain's favorite race is the 200, so he was going to get out and stretch his legs before the race. Now he's talking about running 18 seconds, and I tip my hat off to him."

The race also took on some extra meaning because it could be the last time he takes part in an individual event at the Olympics. He's yet to confirm any future plans, but trying to qualify for the 2020 Games in Tokyo at age 38 would be an uphill battle.

He told Paul Myerberg of USA Today leading up to his journey to Rio that his body is already starting to show signs of wear and tear.

"This year, I had little knocks and bruises—ankles, quads, hamstring, things like that," he said. "But at the end of the day, I'm taking it each race at a time. When the competition shows and the competition rises I've got to rise to the occasion with it."

So, while there's always pressure in the Olympics, Gatlin likely felt some added urgency when he took to the track for the 200.

That's why the failure to win a medal is even more disappointing.

He has still put together an impressive resume despite falling short in this instance, though the pair of suspensions he received during his career leaves his legacy unsettled. Whether those factors will motivate him to continue competing with an eye toward 2020 is not known.

Gatlin could still help the United States claim another medal this year, though. He's expected to take part in the 4x100-meter relay semifinals on Thursday.