Gay runs fastest 100 ever

Jun 30, 2008 - 1:02 AM By Simon Lewis PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

EUGENE, Oregon (Ticker) -- World champion Tyson Gay showed he will be a fierce rival to world record holder Usain Bolt at the Olympics this summer when he raced to a wind-assisted 9.68 seconds to win the 100-meter dash at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field trials at Hayward Field on Sunday.

It was the fastest 100 meters ever run in any conditions but it will not count as a world mark for Gay because of a 4.1 meters-per-second tailwind - way above the permissible legal limit of 2.0.

Having laid down his marker in the quarterfinals by posting a national record of 9.77 seconds on Saturday, beating Maurice Greene's nine-year-old mark of 9.79 and Greene's four-year-old Olympic trials record of 9.91, Gay once again was in blistering form Sunday.

Almost a month after the dispiriting experience of following Bolt home on his world-record run of 9.72 in New York City, Gay showed he could not be counted out in Beijing.

On another hot day at Hayward Field, with temperatures of 87 degrees, Gay was again as focused as he had been in the quarters, cruising through his semifinal and easing up in front to clock 9.85 with Walter Dix second in 9.93.

After that he had said he felt "a little fatigued," but there was little evidence of that when he returned to the track a little over two hours later, dominating the field with a blazing 9.68 run.

With the top three in each event at these trials earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, Gay will be joined by Dix (9.80) and Darvis "Doc" Patton, who finished third in 9.84.

Gay, also the world 200-meter champion, will now attempt to double up in Beijing, as he did so successfully in Osaka at the worlds, with the 200 first-round heats scheduled for July 4.

In the 400-meter hurdles finals, Bershawn Jackson overcame a false start to power to victory ahead of reigning world champion Kerron Clement.

The 2005 world champion, Jackson had finished a heartbreaking fourth at the 2004 Olympic trials but has been in good form with the second and third-fastest times in the world this year, 48.15 and 48.32.

Jackson's winning run of 48.17 fell edge Clement, who claimed second in 48.36. and 2000 Olympic champion Angelo Taylor completing the team in third(48.42). Clement holds the world's fastest time at 47.79.

The women's 400-meter hurdles final saw Tiffany Ross-Williams run her own race to victory in 54.03. Ross-Williams had tracked early front-runner Lashinda Demus on her outside before chasing her down on the home straight.

There was agony for Demus, who failed to hold on for a place on the team. She was caught at the line by Virginia Tech's Queen Harrison (54.60) and 2004 trials champions Sheena Tosta (54.62) and was forced to settle for fourth place in 54.76 before being disqualified.

Team USA's men's pole vault, long jump and women's discus and triple jump squads were also decided on Sunday.

Aretha Thurmond earned her third Olympic berth thanks to a winning second-round throw of 213 feet 11 inches in the discus.

American record holder and 2007 USA Outdoor champion Suzy Powell-Roos needed a sixth and final-round throw of 206-05 to claim second place after 2008 world leader and 2004 Olympic trials runner-up Stephanie Brown Trafton had overtaken her in the fifth round with a toss of 205-06.

Two-time U.S. Indoor and Outdoor champion Shani Marks led the way in the women's triple jump, booking her place on the Olympic team with a jump of 47-2 1/4 that bettered her U.S-leading mark by eight centimeters.

Joining her in Beijing will be 2004 Olympic trials runner-up Shakeema Welsch, who was runner-up again with a leap of 46-10, and 2008 NCAA Outdoor champion Erica McLain (45-9 3/4).

In the pole vault, reigning world champion, world leader and American record holder Brad Walker made the team in third place at 18-06 1/2). Trials champion Derek Miles, the 2004 Olympic Games finalist, won with a jump of 19-0 1/4 while 40 year-old Jeff Hartwig was second (18-8 1/4).

In the long jump, 2004 Olympic gold medalist Dwight Phillips saw his hopes of defending his title dashed by a last-round leap from Trevell Quinley.

Two-time world champion Phillips had been lying in third heading into the sixth and last round of the final thanks to a second round jump of 26-11.

Quinley, however, had other ideas, producing a last-ditch effort of 27-5 1/3, the best by an American this year, to leapfrog from seventh place to first.

Brian Johnson placed second (27-2 3/4) with two-time world finalist Miguel Pate third (26-11 3/4).

In the opening round of the 400 meters, reigning world and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner showed he is still the man to beat, winning his heat in 46.06 while slowing to almost a walk as he crossed the line.

Training partner and former Baylor teammate Darold Williamson snagged an automatic spot in Monday's semifinals as he claimed third on the line in his heat in 46.00 behind winner Lionel Larry (45.89). Current Baylor junior Quentin Iglehart-Summers won the fourth and final heat in 45.87, while the first heat went to fastest qualifier, LaShawn Merritt in 45.30.

American record holder Sanya Richards set the fastest time in the women's 400 opening round, cruising to victory in 51.08. Richards' 2007 world Outdoor 4x400-meter gold medalist teammate Mary Wineberg was a heat winner in 51.46, with main rivals Natasha Hastings (51.51) and Dee Dee Trotter (51.97) also winning their heats in advance of Monday night's semifinals.

In the decathlon, 2005 world champion Bryan Clay holds a narrow lead after day one. Clay amassed 4476 points from the first five events, just 22 points ahead of U.S. leader Trey Hardee and only 71 points ahead of third-placed Tom Pappas, the 2003 world champion.

Jangy Addy lies in fourth on 4,249, with the University of Oregon's Ashton Eaton in fifth with 4,226.