US 07: Gay 19.62

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INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, June 24 - Tyson Gay posted the second-fastest 200m time in history today to complete a sprint double at the US athletics championships in high style.

Gay, winner of Friday’s 100m, zipped to an early lead in the 200 and by the midway point there was no doubt about the outcome.
Gay rode home unchallenged in 19.62sec, the season’s best performance and the second-fastest of all-time.

The race was excellent,'' said Gay, whose winning 100m time of 9.84 was also the top mark for 2007. The time was excellent, too. I wasn’t thinking about any time. I was running pretty much scared. I was just trying to get away from the line of scrimmage as fast as I could.’’

Wallace Spearmon put on a late charge for second place in 19.89 and Rodney Martin was third in 20.18.

With the national meet serving as the American team trials, Gay, Spearmon and Martin will represent the US at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, later this year.

The men’s 200m final took place without Xavier Carter, who ranked second in the world last year with a time of 19.63.

Running in a steady rain in the first semi-final, Carter grabbed his right leg with about 50 meters to go, fell to his knees and failed to finish. A meet official said Carter’s right kneecap had popped out and popped back in again, but there appeared to be no further damage.

Sprinters held center stage at the championships again Sunday, with Allyson Felix winning the women’s 200m.

Felix, the defending world champion in the half-lap, finished in 22.34 followed by Sanya Richards in 22.43 and Torri Edwards - winner of Friday’s 100m - in third place at 22.55.

``I just wanted to stay focused on myself,’’ said Felix, who is also the defending World champion at 400m.

``If my body is feeling good, I definitely want to go for it (a 200/400 double in Osaka). I’m going to run a few more 400s and try to put a time out there to put me in the relay pool (for the 4x400).’’

Richards, last year’s Women’s World Athlete of the Year, redeemed herself after failing to make the US team in Saturday’s 400, where she finished fourth.

Yesterday was really disappointing,'' said Richards. I probably got three hours sleep last night. I kept having nightmares about the race.

``But I had an opportunity to come out here today. And not a lot of athletes have two shots to make the team.’’

Tiffany Ross-Williams powered through the women’s 400m hurdles in 53.28, the year’s fastest time. At the finish, Williams had to hold off Sheena Johnson, who charged home for second in 53.29.

Terrence Trammell, owner of two Olympic silver medals and two world championship silvers, won his first US national title in the 110m hurdles in 13.08sec.

He led from start to finish, with American record holder Dominique Arnold second in 13.17 and David Oliver third in 13.18.

With a 1500-metre win in 3:34.82, Alan Webb denied Bernard Lagat a double victory celebration at the championships. Lagat, who finished third behind Leonel Manzano, had won the 5,000 on Thursday.

Other men’s champions Sunday were Josh McAdams in the steeplechase (8:24.46), Aarik Wilson in the triple jump (17.06), Michael Robertson in the discus (64.04), Jim Dilling in the high jump (2.27) and Khadevis Robinson in the 800 (1:44.37). Robinson’s time was the second-fastest in the world this year.

Women’s titles went to Alysia Johnson in the 800 (1:59.47), Kristin Heaston in the shot put (18.74), Jenn Stucynzki in the pole vault (4.45) and Teresa Vaill in the 20 kilometre walk (1:37:28.70).

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By Gene Cherry
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, June 24 Reuters - Tyson Gay ran the second fastest 200 metres of all-time, 19.62 seconds, on a wet track at the US championships today.
Only fellow American Michael Johnson’s world record of 19.32 seconds at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics is faster.
I was running scared,'' the 24-year-old Gay said after completing a 100-200 metres double at the meeting, the US trials for August's world championships. I wasn’t thinking about any time. I was trying to get away from (world silver medallist) Wallace Spearmon as fast as I could.’’
Spearmon, Gay’s training partner, finished second in 19.89 with Rodney Martin third in 20.18. Olympic and world 400m champion Jeremy Wariner took fourth in 20.35. Olympic champion Shawn Crawford was seventh and last in 20.51.
``The time was excellent. The race was excellent, too,’’ said Gay, who ran into a slight headwind.
The win came after Xavier Carter, the previous second fastest at 19.63 seconds, crashed out in the semi-finals with a dislocated knee cap problems.
Gay had taken the US 100m championship in a season-leading 9.84 seconds on Friday. He will run both in the world championships and said another US sweep might be possible in the 200m.
World champion Allyson Felix won the women’s 200m final in 22.34 seconds. Sanya Richards, overcoming the disappointment of missing the world championships in the 400m, finished second in 22.43 to make the US team for Osaka.
US 100m champion Torri Edwards claimed third in 22.55 and La Shauntea Moore was fourth in 22.58.
Two-time Olympic silver medallist Terrence Trammell won the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.08 seconds. US record holder Dominque Arnold clocked 13.17 for second and David Oliver took the third US spot in 13.18.
Allen Johnson, the 1996 Olympic gold medallist and four-time world champion, finished seventh in 13.60 seconds. He had made every US world championship team from 1995.
Alan Webb surged ahead of two-time Olympic medallist Bernard Lagat in the final 30m to win a stirring 1,500m in 3:34.82. Kenyan-born Lagat slipped to third in 3:35.55, finishing behind Leonel Manzano (3:35.29).
Khadevis Robinson dominated the men’s 800m in 1:44.37, outrunning upcoming American Nick Symmonds (1:45.17).
American record holder Jenn Stuczynski won the women’s pole vault at 4.45m and Tiffany Williams ran the year’s fastest women’s 400m hurdles in 53.28 seconds.

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Gay runs 19.62, the second fastest 200m in history – USA Champs, Day 4
Sunday 24 June 2007

Indianapolis, USA - Tyson Gay completed the sprint double on the fourth and final day of senior action at the AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Sunday (24) by running the 200m in the second-fastest time in history.

The championships were the national trials for the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Osaka, Japan (25 Aug to 2 Sep 2007).

Tyson Gay in full flight in the 200m final in Indianapolis - US Champs
(Getty Images)

If you had any doubts about Tyson Gay, forget them. Today in the USATF men’s 200 metres, Gay ran a turn for the ages and strode home to win by nearly three metres in 19.62 seconds.

Gay’s teammate, Wallace Spearmon, was second in 19.89, and Rodney Martin was third in 20.18 and World and Olympic 400m champion Jeremy Wariner fourth in 20.35.

Spearmon, who last year had run 19.65, was in lane 5, just inside Gay. With Walter Dix and Xavier Carter not in the race, Spearmon was his only real opposition, and his strategy was simple: “to get away from Wallace Spearmon as fast as I could.”

Allyson Felix makes up for a bad start - USATF
(Getty Images)

It worked. As they came off them the turn, Gay was perhaps five metres in front – a shocking margin – and while Spearmon made up some of the deficit, the winner was never in doubt.

Xavier Carter, who with 19.63 to his credit last year in Lausanne was until today’s final the second fastest man in history, sprained his right knee in the semifinals and fell to the track. Walter Dix, who in May ran 19.69, scratched from the field on Saturday.

For Gay, it was the culmination of an exceptional week, which also included a 20.15 semifinal earlier today and 9.97 100m semifinal and a 9.84 final (all into headwinds).

Terrence Trammell - runs a ‘hot’ 13.08 - USATF
(Getty Images)

“It was probably as perfect as it’s going to be in these conditions,” said Gay. “Anytime I’m in a race with Wallace Spearmon, I want to try to run away from him. I heard some heavy breathing - I don’t know if it was Wallace or me - but I think it was probably Wallace.”

“In the 200m, I don’t really think I’m considered a favourite, so to come out on top is great,” concluded Gay, the fastest 100m/200m sprinter of all-time.

Spearmon confirmed his tactics were simply “to get out with him (Tyson Gay), but I couldn’t keep up. That’s the second time he’s done that to me, but he’s my teammate so I can’t get mad,” said the 2005 World silver medallist.

Felix fights back to win, Richards secures Osaka slot too

Allyson Felix, as expected, won the women’s 200, but she got a strong challenge from Sanya Richards, who lost out on an Osaka qualification spot in her favourite 400m yesterday. Felix lost at least two metres thanks to an atrocious start, but caught the field at 120m and won by a metre in 22.34, with Richards second in 22.43 and 100m winner Torri Edwards third in 22.55.

“Today I dug deep within myself,” confirmed Richards. “I didn’t want that team (World Championship) to leave me. I’m still shocked I’m not going to the World Championships in the 400m, but I’m just happy to be on that team.”

Alan Webb - 3:34.82 - meet record - USATF
(Getty Images)

Williams and Johnson in close finish

There was plenty of other excitement. Tiffany Williams (nee Ross) and Sheena Johnson raced down the home straight of the women’s 400m Hurdles stride for stride before Williams executed a better lean to win in the year’s fastest time, 53.28, with Johnson 0.01 back. Sandra Glover, four-time World Championships finalist, faded to fourth in 55.31.

In Trammell’s wake Johnson’s impressive string ends

Terrence Trammell won a hot 110m Hurdles contest with a with a late-race surge that brought him across the line in 13.08 (+0.5), a metre clear of Dominique Arnold (13.17) and David Oliver (13.18), closely followed by David Payne (13.22), Anwar Moore (13.23) and Aries Merritt (13.24).

The race also saw the end of Allen Johnson’s string of consecutive World Championships and Olympic teams, which began in 1995 and included four Worlds’ gold medals and one bronze as well as the 1996 Olympic gold. Today, Johnson finished seventh in 13.60.

3:34.82 meet record for Webb

Alan Webb won an exciting 1500 metres thanks to a 55.1 last 400 metres and a homestretch spurt which carried him past defending champion Bernard Lagat to win in 3:34.82, a meet record. For a moment it appeared as if an even faster stretch run by Texan Lionel Manzano, who also passed Lagat for second in 3:35.29, a nearly two-second PB. Lagat, winner of the 5,000 earlier in the week, had no trouble holding on to third, finishing in 3:35.55.

“Bernard (Lagat) and I talked before the race and we wanted to make it a man on man race,” confirmed Webb. “It’s a little more risky, but I would rather run against one guy then the whole field. I would rather just be on the team than risk tripping. The last 300 I felt great. I felt way better than I did in the prelim. I want to know what our 100 splits were. They were even, even, even.”

The men’s 800m was won by consistent Khadevis Robinson, who took the lead at 200 metres (24.7), kept it moving through 51.11 and 1:18.5, and won by six metres in 1:44.37 from Nick Symmonds’ 1:45.17, with college student Duane Solomon a surprise third in 1:45.69.

Alysia Johnson, the NCAA women’s 800 champion two weeks ago, upset three-time winner Hazel Clark as the two battled down the final 100m with Alice Schmidt. The race was in doubt until the last step, as Clark, in the lead but faltering, fell across the line as Johnson passed her to win 1:59.47 to Clarks’ 1:59.60 and Schmidt’s 1:59.63.

Rain causes problems in the jumps

Rain early in the afternoon made a hash of several of the field events – the High Jump being won at 2.27m by Jim Dilling and the women’s Pole Vault by Jenn Stuczynski at 4.45m on her only vault before failing at 4.55.

Best of the field events was the men’s late-starting men’s Triple Jump, which saw Aarik Wilson continue his string of 17m jumps with a 17.06 (+1.7) effort to beat Lawrence Willis (16.97) and Kenta Bell (16.87).

In the men’s Discus Throw, Michael Robertson threw 64.04 metres to edge out top throwers Ian Waltz (63.60) and Jarred Rome (63.56). Casey Malone, expected to finish in the top three, slipped on the wet circle and never managed a good throw.

Steeplechase springs a surprise…or three

The most surprising race of the day was the men’s 3000m Steeplechase, where none of the three leading active Americans qualified for the U.S team for Osaka. Before the race, Steve Slattery turned his ankle warming up and had to drop out; Anthony Famiglietti and American record holder Dan Lincoln opted for a slow pace and found themselves outkicked by Joshua McAdams, winner by 15m in a PB 8:24.46 followed by Aaron Aguayo and Thomas Brooks, both of whom ran down Famiglietti ‘s 8:27.34 in the final metres.

James Dunaway for the IAAF

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – That blur speeding through Indy was Tyson Gay.

Running on a wet track, with the wind blowing in his face, Gay completed one of the most impressive sprint doubles in the sport’s history Sunday.

The quiet, 24-year-old former Arkansas sprinter ran the second-fastest 200 meters ever, a 19.62-second dash that broke Michael Johnson’s meet record on the final day of the U.S. track and field championships.

Add that to his 9.84-second triumph into the wind in the 100 on Friday, and no other sprinter’s marks in the same meet can match him.

Despite a 0.46 mph headwind, Gay’s 200 time was second only to Johnson’s world record 19.32 set at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Johnson set the U.S. meet record of 19.66 at the Olympic Trials earlier that year, a world record at the time.

Wallace Spearmon, the defending U.S. champion and Gay’s training partner in Fayetteville, Ark., was second in 19.89, with Rodney Martin third at 20.18.

“The time was excellent. The race was excellent, too,” Gay said. “I wasn’t thinking about any time. I was trying to get away from Wallace Spearmon as fast as I could.”

Xavier Carter, who had the second-fastest 200 meters all time before Gay’s big run, was carried off the track on a stretcher after injuring his right leg in the event’s semifinals earlier Sunday. The injury wasn’t as serious as was initially thought.

Carter grabbed his right thigh about 120 meters into the race, staggered a few steps, then tumbled to the ground. He lay there for several minutes before being carried away.

Carter’s agent Mark Block initially thought Carter had injured his iliotibial band, a group of fibers that run on the outside of the thigh from the hip to the knee. However, further examination showed that Carter’s kneecap had popped out of place, then popped back in.

“He felt it coming off the turn,” Block said. “He actually felt it earlier than we saw. He felt it tightening up and all of a sudden he felt a pop.”

Carter ran a 19.63-second 200 in Lausanne, Switzerland, last July 11.

The 200 was to have included four of the six fastest runners in the event’s history, but only two of them were in Sunday’s final – Spearmon and Gay. In addition to Carter’s absence, Walter Dix didn’t show up for Saturday’s preliminary round.

Gay said he was “a little bit” surprised at how one-sided his victories were this week.

“Some people were injured,” he said. “I’m sorry for Xavier, it’s really been on my mind. I even heard Asafa Powell may have pulled up slightly in his trials. I want everyone to get healthy.”

Powell won the 100 at the Jamaican championships Saturday but appeared laboring at the finish. His brother Nigel said Sunday that the injury was not serious.

“He said he felt like something sticking him in his left groin,” Nigel Powell said, “and he just eased down.”

Both Gay and Spearmon are coached by Lance Brauman, who is nearing the end of a prison sentence for embezzlement, theft and mail fraud. Brauman, a former Arkansas assistant, will have to call them to talk about the race. They can’t call him.

Defending world champion Allyson Felix won the women’s 200 in 22.34. Sanya Richards, who failed to make the U.S. team with a fourth-place finish in her best event, the 400, on Saturday, made the squad in the 200 with a second-place finish at 22.43. Torri Edwards, the 100-meter winner on Friday, was third in the 200 at 22.55.

The athletes wrapped up four days of competition at Carroll Stadium on the edge of downtown Indianapolis. The top three finishers in each event make the U.S. team for the world championships to be held Sept. 25-Aug. 2 in Osaka, Japan, providing they have met the necessary qualifying standards. In addition, defending world champions get a bye to Osaka as long as they competed in something at the U.S. meet.

Alan Webb broke Steve Scott’s 25-year-old meet record in the 1,500, winning his third U.S. title in 3:34.82. Webb surged ahead of defending champion Bernard Lagat over the final 30 meters for the victory. Leonel Manzano was second and Lagat, the meet’s 5,000 champion, finished third.

After crossing the finish line, Webb fell to his knees, his fists raised in triumph.

“I didn’t get to run this meet last year,” he said. “I didn’t get to defend my title. To lose the title, and get it back, I don’t know, it’s emotional I guess. My family was here. I wanted to prove myself I could do it again.”

For the first time since 1993, Allen Johnson won’t be competing at the worlds. The 36-year-old seven-time U.S. champion finished seventh in the 110-meter hurdles. Terrence Trammell won in 13.08.

Khadevis Robinson won his fourth U.S. 800 championship, third in a row, with a 1:44.37 clocking. Nick Symmonds added to his rapid rise in the event by taking second at 1:45.17. Lopez Lamong, the former “Lost Boy of Sudan” who passed his U.S. citizenship test Tuesday, finished fifth and missed qualifying for the worlds. Lomong, who spent 10 years in a refugee camp in Kenya, said he is hoping to compete for the United States at the Pan American Games later this year.