Outdoors, Gatlin returned to the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix, the same meet and venue where he broke the 100 metre world record until it was annulled. He won in 9.87 seconds, defeating Asafa Powell by one hundredth of a second. After taking wins in Daegu, Rabat, and at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Gatlin placed himself as a favorite for a medal at the 2012 London Olympics. On June 24, Gatlin won the 100-metre final at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon with a personal best time of 9.80 seconds, the fastest time in history for a man over 30.