tyson gay to compete in sheffield. if he raced there now, he’d be faster in the freestyle than on the track. they’ve got huge floods in sheffield, poor bastards.
The fastest man in the world this year, Tyson Gay, has been lined-up for the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Sheffield.
The American was 0.01 seconds faster than the 100m world record of 9.77 seconds this month, although that was ruled out for wind assistance.
But Gay, 24, could lay down a marker ahead of this summer’s World Championships with a bid on the record at the Don Valley Stadium on 15 July.
He said: “Sheffield will be tough, but I want show what I’m capable of.”
The Sheffield track is said to be faster than Gateshead, where Asafa Powell equalled the world record time in last year’s British Grand Prix.
The Jamaican shares the mark with Justin Gatlin, who could be stripped of his time and the world and Olympic titles after testing positive for testosterone in April 2006.
"I’ve proved I’m capable of winning races and recording great times
Tyson Gay
Meeting director Ian Stewart said: “A lot of things have to be right to achieve a world record but without a doubt Tyson has the ability to do it on the day if conditions are good.”
Gay followed his season-best 100m time in the US Championships by running the second fastest 200m of all time on Sunday.
His 19.62s was second only to Michael Johnson’s 19.32 at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
The previous day he won the US 100m trials in 9.84s, the fastest time this season.
Gaye said: “I’ve proved I’m capable of winning races and recording great times, now I want to come back from the World Championships with medals.”
Felix won 200m silver behind Campbell at the 2004 Athens Olympics
World 200m champion Allyson Felix will face Olympic gold medallist Veronica Campbell and last year’s world number one Sanya Richards at the Norwich Union Grand Prix.
The American won the event the last time in Sheffield staged the Grand Prix, in 2005 and the 21-year-old must now contend with an in-form Richards, who she beat at the US trials this weekend, and a fully fit Campbell.
The latter ran the fastest 100m in the world on Saturday at the Jamaican championships.
Felix said: “Whether it will provide an insight into what might happen at the World Championships, we will have to wait and see, but I can guarantee that nobody will want to lose.”