THE STATS FOR BOTH GAY AND FELIX ARE WORTH TAKING ANOTHER LOOK AT, PRETTY STUNNING. TOM, THE GUY WHO PUT THIS LITTLE REPORT TOGETHER IS ALSO A LOVELY FELLOW, BUT A TRAGIC VILLANOVA FAN.
01-17-2008
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Tom Surber
Media Information Manager
USA Track & Field
317-713-4690
Gay, Felix win USOC Awards
Reigning world champions and Jesse Owens Award winners Tyson Gay and Allyson Felix were named the recipients of two prestigious awards from the United States Olympic Committee on Thursday.
Gay was named the USOCâs SportsMan of the Year and Felix was named the recipient of the Womenâs Outstanding Performance of the Year Award.
In 2007, Gay had an historic year, sweeping the 100 and 200 meters at both the IAAF World Outdoor Championships in Osaka and the USA Outdoor Championships.
He added World Outdoor gold in the 4x100m to become the fourth man in World Championships history to win three gold medals at a single championship.
In Osaka, he won his first gold in the 100, blazing to a 9.85 victory to relegate world-record holder Asafa Powell to third.
Gay then took down Michael Johnsonâs 200m meet record, coming from behind to win his second gold medal of the meet in 19.76.
He finished his global trifecta by running the third leg on the winning menâs 4x100m relay that won a nail-biter of a race in 37.78.
Gay had given notice of his prowess at the U.S. Outdoor Championships, cementing his status as the worldâs most dominant all-around sprinter with his meet record wins in the 100 (9.84, -.5m/s) and 200 (19.62, -.3m/s) in posting the fastest 100-200 double in history.
Gay also came away from the meet with the menâs Visa Championship as the top male performer of the Visa Championship Series.
Establishing himself as the worldâs top big-meet, championship runner, Gay won every race he entered in the 100 and 200 in 2007, save for one.
He ran five of the seven fastest times by an American in the 100 and three of the four fastest times by an American in the 200, including the 2007 world leader (19.62).
âItâs an honor to receive the SportsMan of the Year Award,â said Gay.
âIâm really looking forward to winning this award again next year. Iâve put a lot of hard work in, Iâm not taking anything for granted and Iâm just wanting to stay dedicated and work on my craft.â
At just 21 years old, Allyson Felix became the second woman in history to win three gold medals at a single World Outdoor Championships with her triumphs in Osaka, Japan.
She first won the 200m in a personal-best 21.81 seconds.
It was the fastest time by a woman since 1999 and was the largest margin of victory in World Outdoor history (.53). She then ran a decisive second leg on the winning 4x100m relay team, which clocked 41.98.
In her final event of the World Championships, Felix ran perhaps the fastest 4x400m relay leg ever by an American woman at a major championship and the fastest by any woman since the 1980s.
Again running second leg for Team USA, she clocked a 48.0 split to move Team USA into a comfortable lead that propelled the Americans to a win in 3:18.55. It was the fastest time in the world since Team USA won the 1993 World title in 3:16.71.
She also was a strong contender in the 100 and 400. She set personal records in the 100 (11.01) and the 400 (49.70).
During the Indoor season, Felix ran one race, the 300m at the Tyson Invitational, where she set an American best in winning in 36.33.
For more information on the 2007 USOC Performance Awards, visit www.usoc.org
Top Americans set for Reebok Boston Indoor Games on Jan. 26
Jenn Stuczynski, who last summer broke Stacy Dragilaâs womenâs outdoor American Record in the pole vault; Reese Hoffa, the reigning shot put world champion; and Kara Goucher, 2007 World Championships bronze medalist at 10,000 meters, have been added to the roster for the Reebok Boston Indoor Games on Jan. 26, organizers announced Tuesday.
The Reebok Boston Indoor Games is the second stop on 2007 USA Track & Fieldâs Visa Championship Series.
Also set are Khadevis Robinson and Nick Symmonds, ranked #1 and #2 in the nation for 2007 at 800 meters. Robinson, a 2004 Olympian, is a four-time U.S. Champion, while Symmonds is the 2007 U.S. Indoor champion.
Stuczynski, the reigning U.S. champion both outdoors and indoors, became the #2 female vaulter of all time when she jumped 16 feet last June at the Reebok Grand Prix. Hoffa, ranked #1 in the world for 2007, will face the #2 and #3 throwers: 2005 world champion Adam Nelson and 2004 world indoor champion Christian Cantwell. Goucher, whose world championships medal was the first ever for an American woman at 10,000 meters, also has run the fastest U.S. time ever for the half-marathon.
The womenâs 200-meter field will feature the professional debut of Shalonda Solomon, the 2004 World Junior champion and 2006 NCAA champion while at the University of South Carolina.
Since the Reebok Boston Indoor Games began in 1996, more than 90 Olympic and World Championship medalists have competed in the event, which has also played host to five world records and nine American records. Sponsored by Reebok International Ltd., with its world headquarters in Canton, Mass., the event is owned and produced by Global Athletics & Marketing, Inc., an athlete-representation and events firm based in Boston.
The Reebok Boston Indoor Games begins at 5:30 p.m., on Jan. 26 at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College, 1350 Tremont St. Information and tickets are available on-line at www.BostonIndoorGames.com or by phone at 1-877-TIX-TRAC. USATF welcomes you to pay with your Visa.
For more information on the USATFâs Visa Championship Series, visit www.usatf.org