Johannesburg : American sprinter Justin Gatlin displayed a blistering pace as he edged past in-form rival LaShawn Merritt to win the 200 meter race at the US Olympic trials.
34-year-old Gatlin took the lead on the opening curve and went on to finish the race in 19.75 seconds, thus clocking the fastest time of the season, Sport24 reported.
Meanwhile, Merritt completed the race in 19.79 seconds for a second qualifying spot ahead of Ameer Webb, who clocked 20.00 seconds.
Earlier, Gatlin had also won the 100m race in the meet at Hayward Field.(ANI)