Gay runs like the wind in fastest 100 ever

Jun 30, 2008 - 2:43 AM By Simon Lewis PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

EUGENE, Oregon (Ticker) -- World champion Tyson Gay insisted he would not be the Olympic gold-medal favorite in Beijing despite running the fastest 100 meters time ever under any conditions at Hayward Field on Sunday.

Gay ran a wind-assisted 9.68 seconds to win the U.S. Olympic Track and Field trials and set up a showdown in Beijing with Jamaican duo of Usain Bolt, the world record holder, and Asafa Powell, the previous holder of the mark.

Yet despite laying down another 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 also Greene's four-year-old Olympic trials record of 9.91, Gay said Bolt would be the man to beat.

"I still don't think I'm going to have a lot of pressure on me, even though I ran that time," Gay said. "Regardless, it was wind-aided so when we go to the next big race, he's still going to be the world record holder."

Bolt and Powell are scheduled to race in England on July 26-27 at the Aviva London Grand Prix meet at Crystal Palace, Gay's only confirmed meet between now and the Olympics. Yet the American said their presence may mean a change of plan.

"Any race that I run, normally it's going according to my training. It's about taking care of my body and running the right races," Gay said. "The only meet I'm confirmed for right now is London and I'm told they're both going to be there so I'm not so sure."

Gay's time beat the previous fastest set by Obadele Thompson of Barbados, who had run 9.69 with a plus-5.0 meters-per-second wind in 1996. The 4.1 wind Sunday, which was way above the permissible legal limit of 2.0, did not take away from his satisfaction, he said.

"I'm not disappointed. I was just concentrating on making the team," Gay said. "Getting a gold medal is my biggest motivation and I want to save the best for last.

"My expectations are huge going into the Olympics."

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 should 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.

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.

That means, he said, any thoughts of celebration would be put on hold.

"I'm pretty sore now, I started cramping up during the (victory) lap as I was signing autographs and my hamstrings started to give out on me some," Gay said. "This is the point when you have to take care of your body, the most important part. So I can only celebrate today and tomorrow I have to work on getting my body back right.

"It means a lot to me, the 9.68. I'm glad my body went that fast. It's a pretty good feeling and I hope I'm ready for the 200 meters."

The wind also affected the outcome of the women's triple jump, won by two-time U.S. Indoor and Outdoor champion Shani Marks, who booked her place on the Olympic team with an American-best jump of 47 feet 2 1/4 inches.

Only 2008 NCAA Outdoor champion Erica McLain, who placed third at 45-9 3/4, will join Marks in Beijing, however.

Shakeema Welsch, the 2004 Olympic trials runner-up, was second again with a leap of 46-10.00, but she will not be able to compete at the Games because her final effort was her only jump to better the Olympic "A" standard of 46-7 1/4 and it was attained in a non-allowable wind of 3.5 mps.

There was a reprieve, though, for Lashinda Demus, who placed fourth in the women's 400-meter hurdles final after being caught first by race winner Tiffany Ross-Williams and then on the line by Virginia Tech's Queen Harrison (54.60) and 2004 trials champions Sheena Tosta (54.62).

Demus was then disqualified for rounding rather than clearing the seventh hurdle with her trail leg. She protested and was reinstated, making her the first alternate for the team.

In the 400-meter men's 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 edged 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.

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.

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.