Gay survives scare in 100 heat

Jun 28, 2008 - 10:28 PM By Simon Lewis PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

EUGENE, Oregon (Ticker) - World 100-meters champion Tyson Gay survived a scare in his opening-round heat at the U.S. Olympic Team Track & Field Trials on Saturday.

In 92-degree heat at Hayward Field, the IAAF World 100-, 200- and 4x100-meter gold medalist was a clear leader as he coasted at 60 meters, but he eased up a little too much and found himself caught in a blanket finish five meters out.

Realizing his predicament, Gay was forced to speed up again and needed to dip at the finish line.

That proved crucial as, after an anxious wait to see the results flashed up on the scoreboard, Gay was relieved to have been placed fourth - the final automatic qualifying spot for a quarterfinal place later this afternoon.

Gay was clocked in 10.14, the same as fifth-place finisher Xavier Carter, the 2006 NCAA 100-meter champion who nevertheless made it as one of eight fastest non-winners.

Their heat was won by Rodney Martin in 10.10. Heat one winner Walter Dix was the fastest qualifier in 9.96.

Among the 24 qualifiers was Jeffery Demps, who placed second in his heat in 10.12, the second-fastest time in history by an American high schooler - four-hundreths of a second behind the 2005 run of J-Mee Samuels (10.08). Samuels, now a University of Arkansas student, qualified in 10.17.