Can Gay go the distance?
August 10th 2007 10:30
The American has his sights clearly set on the land of the rising sun where he will hope to conclude his rise to global superstardom by repeating the 100m/200m double fellow American Justin Gatlin won last time around in Helsinki.
The Kentucky born athlete first came onto the scene running in the American Collegiate system winning the 2004 NCAA 100m title in 10.06 but it was in 2005 and in the 200m that Gay began to forge his reputation breaking the 20 second barrier running 19.93.
The result ranked him second in the world standings for that year behind training partner Wallace Spearmon.
At the world championships he suffered the agony of finishing 4th in the 200m final.
A result made all the harder to swallow by the fact that the medal positions were taken by the other 3 Americans at the championships, Wallace Spearmon, John Capel and eventual winner Justin Gatlin.
2006 showed Gay make huge a huge improvement in both short sprint distances as he lowered his personal best in the 100m to 9.84 in Zurich – the same race Powell equalled the world record of 9.77.
A now impressive 100m time was exceeded with Gay’s 19.70 in Laussanne but he once again he failed to get the limelight his performance deserved as Xavier Carter ran the second fastest 200m in history in the same race, 19.63.
2006 showed Tyson Gay to be the nearly man of international sprinting. After Justin Gatlin failed his drugs test Gay became the ‘other’ American running super quick times on the world stage.
It is a very different story in 2007 however with Gay sweeping all before him.
His first few forays over 100m this year lead to a 9.76 clocking – a new world record had it not been for the illegal 2.2 m/s tailwind.
(Note: anything up to 2.0 metres per second is termed legal for record and ranking purposes.)
He then followed that up with a 9.84 ran into a -0.5 metre per second headwind at the American National Championships and is the 2nd fastest ever time ran into a headwind.
The fastest? A 9.82 ran into a -0.2 m/s by one Maurice Greene of America so he’s in good company.
Those championships got even better for Gay as just two days later he ran 19.62 and confirmed himself as the dominant world force over the half lap.
It is difficult to see anybody besting Gay over 200m but the 100m is a different story.
Since the US trials Gay has been hampered by a niggling knee injury that has called a halt to the sub 10 times at the worst possible moment.
The 10.02 he ran last Friday at the London Grand Prix didn’t exactly exude confidence and with Powell now seemingly back from injury and with an axe to grind as far as global titles are concerned will Gay be able to take the heat?
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Comment by Anonymous
u missed out gay's favorite colour and whether he prefers kisses or cuddles
man this dude really runs fast, i wish i was gay
hehehe